Our Love Affair
by Cataluna
Summary: CH 10 AU IKS triangle. Kagome is engaged to Sesshoumaru as part of a business arrangement. Wait till she discovers that the stranger she had drunkenly tried to seduce one night at the bar is his brother Inuyasha.
1. Define Love

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Our Love Affair

Chapter 1:  Define Love…

By Cataluna

Kagome clenched her hands tightly at her sides, exhaling once more before knocking softly at the large cherry wood doors.  Something about that phone call she had received this morning made her uneasy.  He had been careful, perhaps too careful in giving away any details concerning this "important" meeting.

"Come in," a shaky voice called out from the other side.

"Grandpa."  She gave him a peck on the cheek, before taking a seat in one of the large armchairs in front of his desk.  They sat in complete silence for a while, playing a game of staring contest before she finally spoke up, "So… what's going on?" 

A bit startled by her assertiveness, he brought his fist to his mouth and coughed loudly.  Finally settling down, he leaned forward and clasped his hands together on the desk.  "Kagome, as you already know, I will be retiring my position as CEO of this company soon… "

She nodded and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.  He was getting old; news of his intended retirement had not come as a surprise.

"And I plan on passing it to you."

She blinked several times in shock, jaw dropping slightly.  "Huh?"  Her family was very traditional; usually the business was passed to the oldest male in the family.  "Are you serious?  But I'm only 25, you think I can handle being CEO?" she managed to spit out each word rapidly, her nails digging anxiously into the leather armrests.  She had always thought her younger brother, Souta, would have been next in line.  But since he was still in high school and Grandpa was retiring soon…  

"Kagome, you are more than qualified.  You have been helping me run this company since your junior year in college.  People like you and respect you.  And…"  He trailed off, breaking their eye contact and twiddled his thumbs nervously.

"And?" she pressed, completely disliking his sudden change in posture and behavior.  She knew from experience that he only avoided looking into her eyes when he had bad news.  She narrowed her eyes at him and stood up, planting her hands firmly on his desk.  "And?" she repeated, looking menacingly down at him.     

Gathering up his courage, he took a deep breath and let it all out in one long sentence, "You'llhavetomarryCEOofFukumoriCorporation." 

"What?" she turned her head and leaned over even more, nearly falling over.  All she was able to pick up from his string of mumble was something about the Fukumori Corporation.

Looking incredibly guilty, he reluctantly raised his head.  "You'll have to marry the CEO of Fukumori Corporation," he repeated softly.  He was considered one of the toughest businessmen in Japan, but when it came to confronting his own granddaughter…

Her knees shook; she fell back down on her seat dully with a dumbstruck expression painted on her face.  

"Ka… Kagome?" he spoke out carefully, waving his hand in front of her face.  

"Marry?" snapping out of her trance, her head still swimming.  "I thought they were our competition…"

He cleared his throat, "Umm…yes.  We've been planning a merger of our two companies for a while now to end our rivalry, and he agreed that a marriage would be the best way to cement the deal.  He is a perfect gentleman… not bad looking either.  I'm getting old and I would like to see my favorite granddaughter be taken care of."

"Only granddaughter," she mumbled a half-hearted reply to one of their favorite jokes.  Feeling like she was trapped in a small box, she stood up quickly, nearly knocking the armchair over.  "I-I have to… I need to go," she stuttered, her shaky hand brushing her locks back, almost tugging at it.  

"Wait… Kagome!" her grandfather called out, and was met by the sound of the door closing.

She slammed the shot glass on the counter, and gestured at the bartender for another drink.  "More," she stated, giving him a shaky smile.  

Wiping his hands on his apron, he signed loudly and shook his head.  "Girl, don't you think you've had enough?"  He had long ago lost track of how many times she had asked for a refill at this sitting.  

Kagome dug a handful of cash from her purse and flung it at him.  "There!  Just fill up my drink.  Don't worry about me," she slurred, one hand massaging her temple.  Her head was already aching, since she had never been much of a drinker in the first place.  She liked being in control of her action, but the desire to forget what happened this afternoon was causing her to act very outside of her character.

"Don't," a silver-haired young man sitting a few bar stools down from her commanded, and set a crisp hundred dollars bill on the counter.

The bartender quickly snatched up the bill, thinking it must be his lucky day.  "Sorry, we're closed," he apologized to Kagome.

"What the fuck!" she protested, and began digging in her purse wildly for more cash.  "Don't listen to him, I have more."  A strong hand wrapped tightly around her slender wrist, and took the cash from her hand.  Her head snapped up quickly, blue eyes darkening with anger as she struggled to get loose from his strong grip.  She was a grown woman, nobody could tell her what she should or should not do.  "Damnit!  Let go of me… what do you think you're doing?"

Eyes narrowing with disapproval, "It's not fucking worth it, whatever it is… you're going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow, or worse."  Not wanting to bruise her, he loosened his grip slightly. 

"I want to forget," she yanked her hand away and clumsily jumped out of her seat, only to fall back into his arms.  She felt lightheaded, and her both her legs shook, threatening to give out under her weight.  But for some reason, she felt safe wrapped up in this stranger's embrace, like nothing could harm her.  

He cupped her chin gently in his hand, forcing her to look up.  "Let me take you home."

She shivered at his intense gaze, and nodded against her better judgment, finding herself completely speechless for the first time in the evening.  

"Hey…you're cute," Kagome giggled, running her hand through his thick hair.  Swaying back and forth on her heels, she stared him in the eyes.  "Pretty gold…  I can see myself in them."

He could see her in a lot of things, but chose to ignore her advances.  He opened the door to her penthouse apartment.  "Come on," he commanded.  She was becoming more and more flirty with each passing second.  If they had met under a better circumstance, he would never even imagine resisting her.  But, he was a gentleman, and taking advantage of a drunken girl was not something he would be proud of in the morning.  He was not about to leave her vulnerable at the bar either.  Too many men would love to be in his place right now, and he doubted that they would have been worrying about their moral.

She remained bolted at the door, arms folded stubbornly across her chest.  "No," she pouted, and stomped her foot down on the carpeted floor for emphasis.

Sighing heavily, he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, flinging her over his shoulder like she weighted nothing more than a piece of feather.  

"Hey-" her legs kicking a bit against his chest.

"Where's your bedroom?"  His eyes darted around the room, trying to choose between the few closed doors.

She let out a sound that was a cross between a giggle and a hiccup, and slapped his ass, startling him.  "Good idea!  The room is th-that way."  Instead of a door, she pointed to the wall.  

He sighed again and decided the most efficient way would simply have to be by opening all the rooms.  He found what he was looking for upon his second try, after nearly stumbling inside the linen closet.  It was not an easy task, with her hands roaming all over him.  She was like a bitch in heat, making him wonder what she was like when she was sober.  He carried her in swiftly and dumped her down on the bed.  His hands worked to remove her heels from her tiny feet, then her jacket.  

He wasn't sure how she was able to do it, but one minute he was trying to pull the cover over her, the next he was laying directly on top of her with her arms looped securely around his neck.  

"Hey handsome," her voice was soft and silky.  Her legs opened, causing her skirt to ride up to her waist, so that his hip was pressing directly over hers.  She gave him a seductive smile, before pulling him down for a kiss.  

A low growl rumbled from the back of his throat, when their lips touched.  He felt the last drop of his sanity was stripped away.  Wanting more of this, he parted her mouth with his tongue, exploring and tasting what was hers.  She whimpered and rubbed one of her inner thighs against his hip, her hands grabbing a fistful of his hair.  He gave into her warm lips hungrily before reluctantly pushing himself away.  Running his hand through his hair in frustration, "I can't… we can't… you're drunk."  Panting deeply, he tried to pay attention to anything but her sweet lips that he was luckily given the chance to taste.  

She giggled loudly and stumbled out of bed, throwing her silk shirt at him. "No I'm not!"  Her knee-length skirt quickly followed and soon she was in front of him in nothing but her underwear.  

He gulped audibly at the sight, blinking several times to make sure he was not dreaming.  It wasn't that he had never seen a half naked girl before, in fact he was used to beautiful women throwing themselves shamelessly at him, but this one…  Pale, flawless skin, supple breasts barely covered by black-lace bra, long and shapely legs outfitted in garters and stockings…

Standing up on tiptoes, she gave him a soft kiss.  Her mouth sucked gently on his bottom lip, while her small hands swiftly worked at loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, revealing a broad muscular chest.  Her lips found themselves at the junction between his neck and shoulder.  She smiled as the sound of a low moan escaped from the back of his throat.  

His hands circled around her wrist tightly at her sides, causing her to stop her administration and look up at him.  "Don't," his voice sounded a few octaves lower, for the second time this evening, warning her to stop before it was too late.  Only this time his mind and his body had decided to wage a full-blown battle against one another; logic versus lust.  He had never wanted or desired someone as much as he did now.  There was nothing more he would like to do right now than to bury himself inside of her heat, and have this vixen scream his name out over and over again.

"Don't what?" she asked slyly as she led him back towards her bed, once again pulling him on top of her.  

His control was barely hanging on by a threat.  Images of them pleasuring each others body continued to flash through his mind.  "You don't know what you're-"

She silenced him by pressing a finger on his mouth, at the same time her other hand reached down between them to gently massage the content of his pants.

He groaned, eyes squeezed shut.  'I'll take that back… she DOES know what she was doing.'  Whoever she was… this woman was driving him insane, spreading liquid fire throughout his body with the slightest touch.  He felt like he was a horny teenage boy again.  He pressed against her hand, losing himself into the sensation, as she expertly teased his manhood.  

His lids fluttered open in confusion after a few moments when her hand suddenly stopped.  

She had fallen asleep.

He got off of her and looked down at his hardened crotch.  "Fuck!"  Exhaling deeply, he pulled the cover over her and straightened out his clothes.  Flinging his jacket over his shoulder, he glanced one last time at the sleeping figure before leaving.

// RING RING //

"Mmm…" Kagome moaned at the loud ringing noise and buried herself deeper inside her cover.

// RING RING //

One hand reached out from beneath the cover and fumbled wildly for the phone, eager to stop the cause of her splitting headache.  Her mouth felt as sandpaper, she had to swallow a few times before she was able to mumble a weak "Hello."

"Kagome?"

She opened her eyes at the recognition of the voice.  "Mom?"

"Are you sick, sweetie?" her voice full of concern and worry.

Massaging her temple gently, she sat up.  "Nothing much to worry about, I just have a bad headache.  Maybe it's just a 24-hr flu or something…" she drifted off, her eyelids were heavy as lead, threatening to shut at any second.

"Well, do you need me to come over and make you some soup?"

Yawning, "No…I'll be fine, just need some sleep." 

"Kagome…when you're feeling better, give me a call, I want us to have lunch, okay?" she asked.

"Yea, sure, bye" she hung up and reburied herself under the comforter.

She woke up a few hours later, feeling a bit better, memory of last night completely forgotten in her mind.  'Why am I in my underwear?'

She wiped her mouth carefully with her napkin, and took a sip of water.  "So mom…what is the real reason for this meeting?"

Her mother smiled, "Always perceptive.  Well…I want to talk to you about your meeting with your grandfather."

"What's there to talk about?" she responded glumly, one arm wrapped across her stomach, the other hand fisting at the fabric of her pants.

"Your grandfather means well you know, he just want to be sure that you and the company are cared for when he's go-"

"An ARRANGED marriage, mom… to a man I've never met before, a man I don't even love.  I've always thought I'll marry for love.  God!  What is this?  This is the twenty-first century, not the old age," she countered, trying hard to keep her temper under control at the restaurant.

"You know… your father and I had an arranged marriage.  We grew to love each other very much."

Kagome's eyes widened, totally speechless.  Her father had died when she was in elementary school, but even then she could see how much love her parents had for each other.  To know that a love this great was born out of a marriage between strangers…

"I've met him, Sesshoumaru…he's a good man.  Maybe you'll grow to love him even more than I'd loved your father.  Your grandfather wants you two to meet tomorrow night… just promise me you'll give this a chance."

Her future fiancé had chosen the most expansive restaurant in Tokyo as the setting for their first meeting.  She took her compact out to check her appearance one last time before walking in with her head held in the air.  She found the entire situation of meeting your potential fiancé completely humiliating and degrading.  Plus, it was not exactly the most romantic thing to do.  "Umm… Fukumori," she told the hostess.

Recognizing the name instantly, and a bit envious at the girl standing in front of her, "Yes, he's here already, right this way Ms. Higurashi."

She nervously tucked a stray strand of black hair behind her ear and followed, trying to spot him through the sea of tables.

He was sitting at a table by several large windows overlooking the view of the city. At least he was good looking, with short silver hair and an aristocratic face, though she found his expression to be a little too icy.  'Wait… silver hair?' she pondered, his appearance seemed familiar, but why?  'Maybe I've seen his picture in one of those business magazine.'

"Hi," she said shyly, giving him a warm smile.  

He stood up and pulled her chair out for her. "Hello."

"Thank you," looking down at her lap, unsure of what to do or say.  She could feel his cold eyes studying her intently, sizing her up, as the waiter took their order.  People around the restaurant were looking at them with curiosity.  It wasn't everyday to see the supposed rivals of the most prominent companies in Japan sharing dinner together.    

"Higurashi, I'm sure your grandfather has discussed to you about our marriage and merger of our company."

She nodded, "Yes but-"

"I've studied your reports and the improvements you have brought to your company.  I must say that I am quite impressed.  I'm sure that our merger will bring much benefits to our companies," he interrupted.

"But is a marriage necessary?  It's so extreme and ultimate.  I'm sure that you have other women whom you would much rather marry."

He took a sip of his wine, swirling it around a bit before setting it down.  "My work has kept me too busy for any serious relationship.  Because of my wealth, many women want me for my power and money."  

She nodded in agreement, having been in the same situation many times herself.  Her heart had been broken too many times upon discovering her latest boyfriend was only interested in how many shares of stock she had in her portfolio.  Lately, she had found it hard for her to trust in men and their intentions.

He took her hand, and produced a large diamond ring from his jacket.  "You're beautiful and smart, also your wealth nearly equals mine.  I will treat you well as my wife."  He placed a small kiss on the top of her hand.  "Marry me?" his thumb flickered lightly across her skin.

Kagome nodded, and blushed slightly as he slipped the glimmering jewel onto her finger.  'Maybe mom is right, maybe I could grow to love him.'


	2. Here's to You

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Our Love Affair

Chapter 2:  Here's to You…

By Cataluna

Sango stomped inside the apartment without saying a word, simply pushing past her to get the other side, as though she was part of the door.  Her heels clicked with such force against her wooden floor that Kagome was surprised they didn't leave any dents or scratches.  

"Well hello to you too," Kagome muttered softly under her breath as the lock bolted shut, a bit startled by her friend's sudden aloofness. Sango had never been so cold to her before.  They had met during freshman year when they were randomly chosen as roommates through pure luck.  Their friendship had been cemented in stone ever since.  She could not remember the last time they had disagreed on anything, or had been mad at each other, until now.

"Do you have something to tell me?"  Her voice was filled with anger and accusation.

She sighed and slowly turned around.  Sango was just standing there, glaring at her, with her arms folded across her chest.  For some reason, Sango was majorly pissed at her.  Several possible scenarios ran quickly through her mind.  'Did I forget her birthday?  No, it's not for a couple more months…'  "What?" she finally dared to ask, a look of complete bewilderment on her face.  

Sango answered her question by waving the front page of today's newspaper in her face.  "Merger of Fukumori Corporation and Higurashi Investment Company by Engagement."

"Oh," she blinked at the large headline, trying to shuffle past the confusing state her mind was in.  "Oh!" she repeated again for no one in particular, and glanced down quickly at her empty ring finger.  Despite its beauty, the stone had weighted heavily down on her hand.  It was anything but what it was supposed to symbolize.  There was no affection, and definitely no love.  He had given it to her as though it was merely another signature on a piece of paper.  She had taken it off as soon as she was home, tucking it in her drawer for safekeeping.  

The newspaper fell fluttering to the floor.  "Oh?  You got engaged and you didn't tell me… your best friend!  Kagome, how could you?"  She sunk down on her sofa.  "And how long have you been seeing this guy?  I didn't even know you were dating anyone!"  She glanced around suspiciously at the room, as though she was expecting Kagome's fiancé to suddenly emerge from behind one of the doors.  

A hard lump squeezed at her throat.  Sango seemed so hurt by all this, and she was still acting like it was nothing.  Kagome sat down beside her.  "Sango, please don't be mad."  

She sighed, still not looking at her.  "I'm not… just hurt."  The last part was almost inaudible.

She clasped and unclasped her hands together.  "It might be hard to believe, but my engagement had been the last thing on my mind all morning.  Grandpa is retiring and wants me to run the company.  Now everything's happening so quickly and it's a total mess."

Sango turned her head slightly.  "Wait… so you're marrying that guy as part of a business arrangement?"

"Yea."

"And you actually agreed to this?"

Kagome laughed dryly.  "You know it made more sense last night than it did today.  Everyone seemed to think it was the right thing to do, including mama.  My parents had an arranged marriage too, and they turned out alright."

"They were lucky."   Her face softened in concern.  "Kagome, I thought you've always wanted to marry for love.  Are you sure you want to do this?  It's not too late, you know?"

She bit lightly on her bottom lip, eyebrows furrowing, staring off at some random spot on the floor.  "I don't know…maybe I have too much of an expectation when it comes to love.  I mean not everyone can be like you and Miroku.  Sesshoumaru seems like a nice man, not very friendly but polite.  And I know that he's not marrying me for my money like all the others.  It'll make my family happy," she rambled, trying to convince both Sango and herself that this was the right thing to do.

"But he's marrying you for shared control of your company, isn't it just as bad?  Anyways, the most important thing is if it'll make you happy.  I'm sure your family would understand.  You're still young, who knows… maybe you'll meet the man of your dream tomorrow, or you've met him already."

Inuyasha took off his jacket and threw it carelessly on the couch.  His brother continued to type on his laptop, only acknowledging his presence with a slight nod of the head.  He decided to make himself comfortable in one of the chairs in front of his desk, preparing himself for a long stay.  His eyes threatened to flutter shut from boredom and hearing the sound of rhythmic keystrokes.

Meetings with Sesshoumaru were never "pleasant."  That was the one thing they could always agree on.  These innocent rendezvous had a way of quickly turning into heated arguments.  He didn't mind.  To him, arguing was a much better alternative than listening to his lecture.  

Still not bothering to look up from his work, "Inuyasha, whatever trouble you have planned for tomorrow night, cancel it."  

"Like hell- "

Sesshoumaru continued before Inuyasha could add in a few more choice words of his own.  "The event is very important to our company.  I need you to make an appearance as Vice President…"

Inuyasha groaned and rolled his eyes, already starting to tune out.  He hated these so-called important events.  They were nothing but an excuse for rich people to broadcast to each other about their wealth and success.  The only reason why he would go was to fulfill his role, and get everyone off his case.

"…My engagement party, and meet my fiancée, Kagome Higurashi."

His blinked several times in surprise at what he had just heard.  'Fiancée?  Did I fucking hear right?'  "You're getting married to that bitch?"  He had heard more than his share of gossip about that girl upon his arrival at the office this morning.  She was supposed to be brilliant, just a few years out of college, and already taking care of most of the company.  She was also ice cold and a total snob.  In another word, a perfect match for his brother.  

Sesshoumaru closed his laptop and removed his wire-rimmed glasses.  His eyes narrowed ever so slightly in annoyance.  "That bitch is your future sister in-law, and you will treat her with respect.  Our marriage will end the pointless rivalry and combine our companies into one powerful empire," a hint of excitement entered into his usually calm voice.  

Inuyasha looked at him in disbelief at how he could be so tactical about all this.  Sesshoumaru was acting like he was merely gaining large shares of stock and assets, instead of committing the rest of his life to one woman.  "And is this all you ever care about?  Business?"  He didn't even know why he had bothered asking this question.  For as long as he had known him, it had and would always be business.  He hoped that this girl knew what she was getting into. 

"Well someone has to since all you do run wild with father's money instead of helping me take care of our company," Sesshoumaru retorted, and resumed his work on the laptop.

Inuyasha's hands curled into tight fists on his lap, and the muscles on his jaw tightened.  It just proved that Sesshoumaru would never really accept and see him as a part of his family.  To him and everyone else in the family, he would always be the bastard that his father had produced from a one-night fling with his secretary.  He was the black sheep of the family, their shame.   

Inuyasha never asked for any of this, his job, his wealth.  He did not even know that he had a father until his 18th birthday.  Now he was trying to make up for missing out on his childhood by providing him with all the advantages and benefits of being a Fukumori.  A soon as he was out of college, Inuyasha was handed the position of vice presidency and a year supply of Armani suits.  

"Mr. Fukumori, your two o'clock appointment is here."

"Send him in," Sesshoumaru pressed the intercom to reply.  "I will see you tomorrow night," his voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

"Congratulation on your engagement."

Kagome forced another smile and shook his hand politely.  She looked up at the man with his arm wrapped lightly around her slender waist, "Would you please excuse me, I need to freshen up."

He nodded, and released her, already focused on another important board member he needed to talk to. 

Desperately needing a breath of fresh air, she grabbed a glass of white wine and walked outside to the garden.  She never thought that her own engagement party could be so…well boring.  The greater part of the evening was spent shaking hands and smiling, meeting so-called important business partners.  

Sesshoumaru had been cool and polite, never showing more emotion than needed.  He had complimented her on her choice of evening wear, a green strapless gown that she wore with a matching emerald choker, but that was it.  He was more interested in discussing the stock market than paying attention to his future wife.

She sighed deeply and stared at the moon, rubbing her arm with her free hand.  She knew that she shouldn't be expecting him to love her so soon, but he should at least make an effort to be a little warmer towards her.  'What would our marriage be like if he's like this now?' she asked herself before drowning down the entire glass of wine in one gulp.

"You know…you need to stop drinking so much," a familiar deep voice spoke out from behind her.

Kagome spun around quickly, nearly dropping the glass in her hand.  "Who's there?"

A silver haired man stepped out from the shadow.  "Inuyasha."  At first glance, he greatly resembled Sesshoumaru, but the similarities lied in their amber eyes and the color of their hair only.  This man radiated warmth whereas her fiancé was icy.   "We didn't really get the chance to introduce ourselves last time," he added, the corner of his mouth tugging into a mischievous smile.   

'Last time?'  She squinted her eyes, trying to recall where and when she had met him.  

"I guess you were a little too drunk to remember anything about that evening," he snorted.

"That evening…" her voice trailed off.  She blushed deeply as scenes from that night suddenly flashed through her mind, including images of her trying to seduce him.  Her lips suddenly grew hot with remembrance as though he was pressed against her again.  She absentmindedly touched them with two of her fingers.  "I-I- I, we…we didn't…did we?" she stuttered, her face growing shades redder by the minute as she tried to make more sense of that night, desperately needing assurance that nothing had happened.  

He chuckled lightly at her embarrassment and stepped towards her till they were but a few inches apart.  Running his finger lightly on her bare arm, he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Don't worry, we didn't 'do it'."

Her heart thumped loudly as his lips accidentally brushed against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.  She was having trouble standing and remembering to breathe at the same time.  The only thing she could think of was how soft his lips had felt, and how good they tasted.  'What am I doing in the dark with his guy thinking about his lips?  For heaven's sake Kagome, you're engaged.'  She took a step back, needing to distant herself.  

He looked down at her flustered face. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" 

Despite the distance she had put between them, she could still feel the heat that was radiating off of his powerful frame.  Kagome had to swallow a couple of times to make sure her voice was working, "I-"

"There you are." 

Her head snapped towards the direction of his voice, and took an even greater step away from Inuyasha.  "Sesshoumaru," feeling incredibly guilty, but at the same time relief at the timely interruption.  She didn't know what could have happened if Sesshoumaru had not found them when he did.  

Her eyes flickered quickly back toward Inuyasha, who seemed deep in confusion at this turnabout.

Sesshoumaru stood between them, facing her and with his back toward Inuyasha.  "Kagome, I see you've already met my brother, Inuyasha…"

The glass slipped out from her shaky hand and shattered on the ground, barely missing their feet.  They both jumped back to avoid the sharp fragments.  "B-brother?" her voice barely above a whisper.  She peered over Sesshoumaru's shoulder at Inuyasha, who appeared to be as shocked as she was upon the same conclusion.  

Sesshoumaru frowned at the mess on the floor, before lifting his eyes to hers again.  "Yes, your soon to be brother in-law."  "Are you feeling okay?"  He touched the side of her flushed face. "You're warm."  

Kagome nearly jumped at the feel of his hand on her cheek.  "Y-yea, just startled and nervous I guess."  

Sesshoumaru observed her keenly, but seemed to find no fault in her vague explanation.  Remembering that they were not alone, he turned around to face Inuyasha.  "I expect to see you inside when we formally announce our engagement." 

For once Inuyasha simply nodded at his request.

He gazed intently at the front as his brother addressed the audience with a natural poise and confidence that he could never hope to possess, not that he gave a damn about being a dynamic speaker or anything Sesshoumaru had to say.  His eyes was fixated on one person, and one person only, the woman standing next to Sesshoumaru, also known as his new sister in-law.  'Kagome,' he tested her name out softly in his mind.

All the damaging rumors that had clouded her reputation had immediately dissipated; replaced by the image of the unhappy girl he had met at the bar.  He still did not know or understand why he was so compelled toward taking care of her, and the many nights after.  All he knew was that since then, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. 

The reason was not weighted on the fact that she had practically begged for him to take her.  After all, she was not the first woman to do so.  There was just something he had felt that he just could not seem to ignore, a tug at his heart.  He had watched her that night: the expression on her face as she experienced perhaps her first taste of hard liquor, and how she kept drowning one drink after another despite her obvious distaste for them.  

The need to escape was in him as well, since that was the reason for his being there in the first place, but to watch her try and destroy herself was too much for him to take.  He finally decided to step in to help, and now found that he could no longer step out.

He didn't think that he would see her again, or that she would even remember.  Imagined his complete surprise when upon his late arrival at the party, he immediately spotted her, looking even more gorgeous than he had remembered.  He then followed her silently out to the garden, thanking the gods above for giving him a second chance.  

He had sworn to himself that this time he was not about to let her walk away.   

But in his wildest dream he never could have imagined that she was THE Kagome Higurashi.

Inuyasha laughed bitterly to himself, and stood with the crowd as they prepared to toast Sesshoumaru and Kagome.  'Of all the women I could have fallen for, I ended up falling for yours.'  Sesshoumaru had always succeeded before him in everything, but this was the one time where he refused to stand by and let his brother win.  

He raised his glass high.  'Here's to you, and may the best man win…'  

She tried to avoid his heated stare from the back of the room, but found that it was impossible, like trying to stop the waves from crashing upon the shore.  She kept a smile plastered on her face, praying that no one else could hear the loud pounding of her heart or notice her erratic breathing.    Stealing a glance at the man standing next to her, 'Why can't he make me feel like this?  Why can't he make my knees go weak with one simple gaze?'  

Much to her relief, his speech was finally over.  The audience stood and toasted them on their new beginning, their new future.  She stared at the drink in her hand before finally taking a tiny sip of her champagne with a heavy heart.  

He smiled and wrapped his strong arm around her again.

She briefly closed her eyes and leaned into him.  Now all they had to do was stand and pose for a few pictures.  She hoped that her face didn't look too flustered.

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru whispered quietly to her, with his face still turned to the blinding flashes of light coming from various high tech cameras.

"Mmm?"  

"Maybe you should go home after they're done here, you still don't seem too well," he stated.

Pleased at his concern, Kagome's mouth curled into the first genuine smile of the evening.  "Alright."  She placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

He seemed a bit startled at her public display of affection, before waving off the cameras and leading them across the room.  They were stopped numerous times along the way with best wishes and congratulations.  Her chest constricted tightly, and her mouth went dry as soon as she had realized where they were heading.  

His passion-filled eyes burned a smoldering path into hers.

She held on tightly to Sesshoumaru's hand.

Completely oblivious to the reaction Kagome and his brother were having with each other, "Inuyasha, I have more business to take of here, please see to it that Kagome arrives home safely."  He released her hand.

'No!'  Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off once again.

 "I'll call you later this week, have a good night."  

"Turn left at the light, then-"

"I know," he interrupted, his voice sounding lower than she remembered.  His hand griped tightly at the steering wheel, knuckles almost turning white.

"Oh," she blushed slightly and stared at the moving scenery ahead, while watching him discreetly out of the corner of her eye.  She continued to mentally compare between the two brothers.  While Sesshoumaru had an almost feminine type of beauty, Inuyasha was handsome, with an appealing kind of roughness about him.  'You have got to stop thinking about him.  Nothing happened… get over it.'  She wondered what Sesshoumaru would say or do if he were to find out that his brother had claimed her lips first.

Inuyasha sighed deeply, working to untie his restricting collar.  "Don't worry, nothing happened and I'm not going to say anything," he reaffirmed her, as though he was reading her mind.  The bow tie came loose, along with the top few buttons on his shirt.

She turned her head to face him, giving him a warm smile of gratitude.  "Thank you... and for taking me home safely that night."  She did not even want to think what could have happened if she had met someone else instead.

"Keh."

They continued the rest of the way in silence, purposely choosing to avoid looking at or conversing with each other.    The tension was overwhelming enough without words.  If they were to look, and if they were to see…

Inuyasha stopped the car in front of the entrance to her apartment, and finally allowed his eyes to rest upon her.  

She looked back, withstanding the urge to brush his bang from his eyes, and smooth the slight frown on his face.  

He reached out toward her, then drew his hand back into a fist before the tips of his fingers could stroke her soft skin, as if he couldn't trust himself to stop with just one touch.  "You really think he could make you happy?"

Without saying a word, she quickly got out of his car, forcing her legs to carry her away as fast as they could.


	3. Lust

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Our Love Affair

Chapter 3: Lust

By Cataluna 

The endless rolls of numbers were starting to blur together. With a loud groan, Kagome all but slammed the latest financial report to her desk, before sinking back into her chair.  She could already feel the onset of a headache coming at full force, and it didn't seem like she would be taking a break anytime soon.  She swiveled on her chair to gaze outside her window.  The sun was beginning to set, painting a soft pinkish glow across the sky.  Its rays filtered in between buildings, reflecting light from one window to another. 

The corners of her lips lifted, releasing a small sigh of contentment at the same time.  It was truly the best view money could buy.  Her new office was located in the highest floor of one of the tallest skyscrapers in Japan.  She could see practically all of Tokyo from where she was sitting. Quite literally, she was at the "top of the world."  She took the pen out from her hair, releasing the tightly coiled bun.  She ran her fingers through her locks a couple of times to smooth the snares.  Her naturally straight hair had long ago turned wavy from the constant constraint.  Preferring the conservative and mature look, she was rarely seen without her hair up.  

Along with the key to this office, her grandfather had handed the entire company over to her last week at the board meeting, so that he could concentrate on his health.  The board members had accepted her promotion as their new CEO warmly, but she could feel that some were a bit hesitant because of her age.  Kagome rolled her eyes and let out a groan.  'And the fact that I'm a woman.'

She stuck the pen in her mouth, grinding on the hard plastic to work out the tension in her jaws.  It wasn't that she didn't like or appreciate her job.  She loved the challenge, and the excitement that came with running one of the most successful companies in the world.  It was just a bit overwhelming to suddenly have so much responsibility weighted upon her shoulders.  Everyone was counting on her, or watching her closely for any slipups.   

And to make matters worse, Sesshoumaru barely had time out of his hectic schedule to see her.  He was just as busy as she was, having to go through the details of this merger with a fine toothcomb.  When they finally had time set aside for each other, they would start to connect only to get interrupted by some business emergency.  She estimated the actual time they had spent together added up to around four hours.  It was one of the woes of being and getting married to a CEO.  She stared at the chewed-up tip of the pen in disbelief. 'That and high blood pressure.'  

The phone on her desk began to ring and flash simultaneously.  She threw the pen under her desk and pressed the speaker button.  "Yes?"

"Ms. Higurashi, Mr. Fukumori is here to see you."

Her eyes flickered to the clock on the wall.  She smiled.  For once he was early.  She smoothed down her hair, and straightened up her suit, making sure not a wrinkle was in place.  "Send him in."  Her finger left the button briefly before pressing down on it again.  "By the way, why don't you take the rest of the day off."  

"Thank you Ms. Higurashi," her secretary replied.

The smile dropped from her face when the door swung open.  She did not expect the younger of the Fukumori brothers to walk in with his jacket draped casually over his broad shoulder, and a briefcase in one hand.  "Inuyasha," she gasped, and tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear.  "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Without saying a word he shut the door quietly behind him.  Moving with the grace and power of a lion on the prowl, he walked towards her until they were separated only by the width of her desk.  

To Kagome, it was like the desk was never there to begin with.  The intensity of his stare left her feeling raw and exposed.  It served as a blatant reminder of their previous encounters, and the effect he always managed to have on her.  She fidgeted in her seat, resisting the urge to run and hide.  "What are you doing here?" she repeated.

He frowned at her persistent questioning, and set his briefcase down on her desk.  "I'm here to help you."

"I thought he was supposed to come."

Inuyasha shrugged and sat down in front of her.  "Something came up, he's going to be out of town for a few days.  So I'm taking his place."  Noticing the look of disappointment on her face, "You should get use to the fact that he's a fucking workaholic.  There's two things he loves, money and power…meaning you're going to be third on his list." 

She clenched at the edge of the desk, knuckles whitening with each word he tossed out at her.  His words stung, mostly because it was something she had suspected and did not want to admit.  "I don't need your concern in our affair," she hissed out through her teeth.

He crossed his arms.  "Just thought I should warn you…you deserve better."

The last part came to her as a surprise, causing her grip on the desk to loosen.  Her cheeks flushed while wondering his implication.  "Who?" she dared to ask, her voice sounding small and shaky.

He simply gave her a look in reply that caused her chest to constrict and her mouth to go dry. 

Her fingers massaged her temples in an attempt to alleviate her headache-turned-migraine.  Was it her imagination or was the clock ticking extra loudly on purpose?  She rummaged through her drawer for a bottle of extra-strength Advil, and gave a loud cry of triumph when her hand at last made contact with the bottle.  Realizing that he was watching her every move, she stopped in the middle of twisting open the bottle, and shot a glare in his direction. "What?" 

He raised his brows at her, setting the document down from his hand.  "Come on," he stood up and grabbed her hand from across the desk.  

Startled by the warmth of his hand suddenly seeping to hers, the bottle of Advil fell noisily to the floor.  "Where are we going?"  She tugged at his hand, trying to get loose.  

He held on, refusing to yield, the corner of his eyes crinkling in amusement.  "It's a surprise."

The "surprise" turned out to be his motorcycle.

She stared at it suspiciously.  One finger guided down the curve of the smooth metal, looking for flaws that could possibly pose a threat to her life.  She had never ridden in anything like that before.  There would be no seatbelts, no sheets of metal surrounding her from all sides.  "Are you sure it's safe?  How long have you been riding this thing?" she questioned, feeling a bit silly.

Inuyasha chuckled and handed her a helmet.  "I've been riding since I was seventeen.  You know, you worry too much.  I wouldn't dream of endangering my brother's fiancée; he would cut my head off."  He climbed easily on his bike and revved the engine.  "Get on," gesturing with his head.

'I can't believe I'm doing this,' she thought, while putting on the helmet.  She should be asleep in bed or working at the office, instead of going for a joyride like a stupid teenager.  She had to hike up her skirt quite a bit in order to straddle the back of his bike.  Finally settling, she held on to his torso with timid apprehension.

Inuyasha sighed and grasped the tiny wrists at his sides.  

"Inuyasha?"

He tugged, pulling her body forward until she was pressed against his back.  "You're fucking stupid to think you can hang on like that," he scolded, and clasped her hands together in front of him.  He waited until she was fully adjusted to her new position before moving the vehicle.

She had to admit that he was right to call her "stupid."  At the speed he was going she felt as though she would fall off at any moment.  She wanted to bury her face behind his back, but the helmet made it impossible for her to do it.  Instead, she squeezed her eyes and tightened her hold on him.

He smiled to himself and accelerated, causing her to hang on to him even more desperately.

"Y-you don't have to go so fast you know," she finally shouted.

"Keh.  This isn't a station wagon you know.  It was meant to go fast.  And open your eyes.  Don't be such a wimp, you'll enjoy it more."

"Hmph," taking his advice, she slowly opened one of her eyes to the deserted road up ahead.  "Wow," she exclaimed in amazement, and pressed closer to his back in order look over his shoulder.  "So are we just going to ride around or do you actually have a place in mind?"

"You'll see."

"Wow," Kagome cried out for the second time tonight.  Inuyasha had driven them to the top of a cliff around 10 miles outside of  "civilization."  She cringed her neck to stare at the millions of stars shimmering down at her.  Living in the city for so long had almost erased her appreciation for the beauty of nature.  

"This is my favorite spot to relax, to think."  He sat down "Indian style" on the ground, not caring about getting his suit dirty, with one hand propping up his chin, and the other tugging at the grass by his hand.

"It's beautiful…just what I need," her face broke into a huge smile as her saucer-sized eyes tried to take in the entire scenery at once.  She sat down beside him, legs folded to the side.  "I seemed to be saying this a lot lately, but thank you."

"Keh," he snorted, but she could see a small tug of smile on his lips.

She shut her eyes and rubbed at her stiff neck, which was the direct result of long hours at the office.  Her eyes reopened with the feel of hair being gathered into a low ponytail.  "What are you-?"

Sweeping her mane to the front of her chest, "Shh…"  His hot breath grazing her naked neck caused her to tremble and the feel of his hands on her shoulders made her rigid in anticipation.  "Relax," he commanded.  His hands moved to her waist to seat her in between his legs.  "You're too tense." 

Her head moved mutely in agreement.  She inhaled deeply, willing for her body to loosen despite the fact that she was practically sitting in his lap.  

He began to apply light pressure on both sides of her spine, starting from the base and slowly sliding his hands upward.  He was gentle and firm at the same time, giving her aching muscles around her lower neck and shoulders just the right combination of heat and strength.  His thumbs dug deep in between her shoulder blades, and his other flexed rhythmically, kneading at the build-up knots of muscles.  Within minutes, he had her rolling her shoulder and arching her back in sync with each squeeze.  

"Better?" 

"Mmm…" She hadn't felt this good in ages.  

Finding no more knots that needed to be loosened, he drew his finger slowly and gently down her back, not applying any pressure, just tracing little patterns.  The massage was over but he did not intent to stop.  He wanted an excuse to touch her, and give her a reason for him to do so.

She noticed that he was no longer working at the muscles on her back; he was simply touching her.  Feather light caresses here and there, making her wonder if they were ever there to begin with.  The quickening of her breath and the fluttering in her stomach convinced her they were.  Her teeth caught her lower lips when his arms crossed the front of her shoulders, bringing her back against the solid of his chest, and his face dipped to the curve of her neck.  

The more he touched her, the more he wanted her.  They were playing a game, a dangerous game.  She was pretending to be oblivious, and allowing his hands to wander.  And he was seeing how far he could go before she would end it.  He inhaled her scent and let his lips bristled the fine hair on her neck, while his hand ran lightly up and down the length of her arm.  He smiled as her body betrayed her, letting him know that this was not one-sided.  Her skin was becoming flushed and hot to the touch, while her breathing was growing more rapid.  

The back of his hand gently stroked the left side of her cheek, causing her to turn slightly in his direction.  He froze in his movement before traveling down her jaw line, catching her chin to make her face him.  She gazed shyly up at him from between her lashes with her heart pounding insanely against her chest.  At the darkening of his eyes, her tongue darted out anxiously to wet her dry lips, unconsciously bringing them even more into his focus.  

"Kagome," he murmured softly.

It was absolutely wicked the thoughts she was having about him right now, the man who was to become her brother-in-law.  She turned her head a little at the last possible moment so that he was only able to catch the corner of her mouth, hoping it would lessen part of their sinfulness.  The part where his lips had managed to graze tingled, while the neglected area throbbed with envy.  She stared guiltily at her lap, hating herself for her weakness.  

He lifted her chin again.  "Kag-"

"So are you and Sesshoumaru close?" she asked forcefully.  She didn't want to use his name like that, but it was the only way.

As expected, he released her and dropped his arms to the sides.  "We used to fight a lot back then, when we first found out we were brothers.  Now we've learned to get along for the most part.  Things are better, but we're still not close.  We'll never be close."  He stood up.  "Let's go."

She stripped off her clothes and lay in bed, welcoming the coolness of the silk against her bare back.  Even now, her heart was racing.  She pressed a hand to her chest in a feeble attempt to soothe it.  It was as though he was lying next to her, tracing at the hollow of her spine, kissing the bend of her neck.  She bit her the inside of her cheeks, and shifted to stare at the moon hanging outside her window.     

The pale globe along with the stars had served as witnesses to the events of the night. They had watched the offering of her neck and the opening of her mouth to a silent moan as he placed soft kisses along her hairline.  They had seen the desire in her eyes when he had lifted her chin to kiss her.   She imagined that they were appalled by her action.  

She turned to the side, hiding her face from the moon's accusing glare.  Inuyasha had refused to look at her even when she was handing back his helmet.  He'd simply muttered a quick "good night" before speeding off.  She couldn't tell if he was more hurt or angry by what she had done.  How did her life get to be so complicated?  And when had she become such a horrible person?  She was marrying one brother and lusting over another.

Sleep did not come easy for her that night, for he was all she could see every time she closed her eyes.  

Her heart would not allow her to forget.  

A/N:  *hugs everyone*  Thank you for the great reviews.  I wish I can thank you all individually.  This chapter was supposed to be much longer, but the second part was taking me a while to write, and finals' coming up.  I didn't want to make you guys wait too long or give up hope.  

I will no longer be sending out update emails.  It takes way too long to look through the reviews, and I'm not sure everyone wants them.  So if you want to be notified go here and sign up.  

Regarding Sesshoumaru, he's very observant but in business sense only.  He hasn't been with too many women because of his busy schedule.  Also, he thinks Inuyasha is beneath him, so he could never imagine that Inuyasha would make a play for his fiancée.  Don't worry; Fluffy will be in the next chapter.


	4. Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Our Love Affair 

Chapter 4:  Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder…

By Cataluna

It hurt.

Inuyasha drew in a shaky breath and pressed a hand tight against his heart.  He would be lying if he said it didn't.  The elevator door opened with a ping.  He moved mechanically into the empty chamber, one foot following the other, and pressed the number to his floor.  He rested his head back against the wall and stared at the mirrored ceiling.  A tired young man stared down at him.  The pain was infamous.  Singers had sung sappy ballads about it.  Poets and writers had devoted their lives to describing it.  

He was living it.  

The constricting feeling around his heart had come suddenly and without warning.  He was trying to claim her lips.  And she had forcefully mentioned his brother's name in return.  

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.

He was not an immoral person.  It certainly wasn't in his nature to go around seducing or stealing another man's woman.  His mind completely understood the dire consequences of his action.   And a part of him was glad that Kagome wasn't the sort of girl who would give in so easily. 

But the other part of him didn't give a fuck about the damage he could cause and the people he could hurt.  He was the black sheep, not the saint.  This didn't mean that he was doing this because of vengeance.  He wasn't trying to get back at his brother for years of hell by stealing his fiancée.  Future sister-in-law or not, he would have wanted her no matter what.  Their complicating situation was simply a matter of circumstances.  His brother just happened to have legitimate claim on her first.  

As corny as this may sound, this had everything to do with the pull at his soul, a feeling that he had never experienced with anyone before.  The fact that she had remained faithful and had resisted his pursue made her even more desirable in his eyes.

But first he needed time to think, to clear his head.

Perhaps his absence would clear hers.

"You haven't touched your food."

Kagome jumped at the sound of his voice, smooth as silk and deep with authority.  The silverwares rattled slightly against her gold-rimmed plate.  She glanced at the food sitting in front of her.  It had grown cold with negligent.  "I guess I wasn't in the mood for salmon tonight," she replied.

Sesshoumaru nodded and lifted his hand.  "I'll get someone to bring you the menu-"

She reached across the table and grabbed his hand.  "Don't."  The last thing she wanted was to waste any more food.  

He looked at her in surprise.  "Are you sure?  You barely ate a thing."  He squeezed her hand lightly.  "Are you not well?  You've been eating like a bird for the past few days."

"I'm just not very hungry."

Finding her answer perfectly acceptable, he nodded again and resumed his eating.  She observed him briefly, the way he would cut up each piece of his steak with perfect precision, and how he always made certain that his lips were cleared of sauce, before letting her eyes drift to the center of the room.  Couples, young and old, were swaying in the dim setting.  Each had its own unique way of merging with the music.  Some were livelier, swinging and twirling, legs lifting with each beat.  While some were barely moving, choosing instead to let their eyes do the dancing for them.   

A wistful sigh escaped her lips, causing the candle on the table to flicker softly.  'I could only wish…'  She refocused her attention to Sesshoumaru, who was watching her quite thoughtfully.  He was done eating.  His fork and knife were crossed on the plate, and his napkin was folded neatly to the side.  She waited for him to look away, and began blushing when his gaze refused to waver.  She was not used to having those amber eyes look at her so closely.  

He was finally attempting to spend more time with her.  And she was finally getting to know this stranger who would become her husband.  They were dining and going out, doing exactly what engaged couples were supposed to do.  'But…'  She stared at her left hand and flexed her fingers.  It had remained bare even now.  For some reasons, she still couldn't force herself to put the heavy ring back on.  

"Kagome?"  

She lifted her head in question.

He stood up and stretched a hand out toward her.  "Let's dance."  

Her heart roused.  She placed her hand in his larger one, giving him permission to lead her to the dance floor.  People parted ways, and looked upon them as though they were royalties.  He stopped at the center of the crowd, seemingly oblivious to the amount of attention they were getting, and his arms encircled her waist to hold her close.  She pressed her cheek against his strong chest and let her eyes slid close.  She was tall, but he was taller, well over six feet tall.  Her head fit directly beneath his chin.  Together, they moved slowly to the music while onlookers gazed upon them with admiration and envy.  

Her face curled into a smile that had the capability of lighting an entire city.  She wanted to laugh out of giddiness, but held it back with a sharp bite to the insides of her cheeks.  This was their first dance together, and the first time he had embraced her this closely when they were out in public.  He was a stoic man, weary of showing his emotions in front of other people.  In another word, he was her complete opposite.  Until now, she had never been one to keep her feelings in check.  She laughed when she was happy and cried when she was sad.  

Her smile faded with the end of the song.  

'Can I live like this?'  She peered at him from between her lashes.  Even at a time like this, his eyes were open and alert, refusing to let himself be lost in the moment.  'Live without emotions?  Without passion?'  She discreetly touched the bottom of her lips.  He still hadn't kissed her or made her believe that she was desirable and attractive the way someone else had.  'Is that…  Is that the reason why I can't stop thinking about him, the last man to claim my lips?'  

Sesshoumaru ran his hands lightly up and down the narrowness of her back, always stopping before gazing the curve of her hips.  He may not be a man in tune with another person's feelings, but even he could clearly sense that something was upsetting his bride-to-be.  She was here with him physically but her mind had been wandering elsewhere.  He carefully stroked the length of her hair as she continued to move with him.  

He wanted to soothe her and bring that bright smile back on her face.  A smile was rarely given without some ulterior motives, but hers was completely genuine.  It warmed him, making him wants to smile back and hold her close in his arms.  Still, he did not believe in public display of affection.  That was for teenagers with no control over their hormones.  Intimacy was meant to be shared in private, not on an open dance floor.  Dancing and holding her like this was as affectionate as he would get.

He had and would never be a man comfortable with getting lost in the waves of passion.  This did not mean that he was asexual or even gay, as many would like to believe.  Giving into lust meant losing control of his body and eventually his mind.  He would never allow for that to happen.  Empires had fallen and men had crumpled all because of their love for the human flesh.  His father had served as the perfect example for that.  

To this day, even nearing deathbed, his father still had not been able to receive his forgiveness.  Sesshoumaru had grown up idolizing this man and had been eager to follow in his footsteps.  In turn, this godly man had ended up disappointing him like no one ever could, all because of a woman and a moment of weakness.  The well-known affair had proved to the world that the great Fukumori lineage was not above sins.  Every single one of them was susceptible to flaws.  If Inuyasha's mother had been any less honorable, she could have used that vulnerability to destroy them.  

He snorted to himself.  He would never allow for any woman to have such power over him.  While his brother was infamous for his womanizing way, he was known for his heart of ice.  Dating was a rarity, for very few women had been able to meet his high expectations or capture his attention.  Even more rare were women who could tolerate taking second place next to his work.  

Who knew that the very thing, which had acted as a lock to his heart, could bring such a captivating woman to him?  Intelligent and ambitious, she was his equal.  The more time he spent with her, the more he learned to appreciate her qualities.  'Perhaps…'  A strange sensation crossed over him, he lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger, and gently kissed her forehead.  Her eyes rounded in surprise before softening with adoration.  

'Perhaps I could allow myself to feel with her.'

"I'm sorry but I won't be able to make it."

Inuyasha cursed loudly, ignoring the looks of shock from bystanders around him.  "What do you mean that you can't make it?  I've been sitting here for over an hour."  He waved his hand for the bartender to refill his drink.

"I'm really sorry Mr. Fukumori," Myouga apologized again.  "I can't do anything about the flight delay.  We'll just have to meet as soon as I get here tomorrow."

"Okay.  Fine.  Tomorrow then," he agreed reluctantly before stuffing his cell phone back into the inside of his jacket.  Myouga was his own personal lawyer and a loyal friend of his father.  He was a wise man, a bit cowardly at times but had always come through for him in the end.  Over the years, Myouga had been the one he went to for advise, and the one he would immediately call when he was in trouble.  Though Inuyasha would sooner die before admitting it, he had grown to care for the old man as though he was his grandfather.  Myouga had been there for him more than his father ever had.  

Inuyasha stared at the drink in his hand.  Tonight's meeting was one of utmost importance.  Both his father and Myouga had wanted him to have complete understanding of how he would be affected by the merger.  It was something he could do without, but wanted to get over with as soon as possible.  His eagerness to meet had to do with an ulterior motive.  He needed to know exactly the amount of control and power Sesshoumaru had over him.  Now this would all have to wait until tomorrow.

He took a gulp of his drink and looked around, wondering what he could do to spend the rest of the night.  A blonde was staring at him from a few seats away.  She was beautiful, no doubts about it.  Her body was hugged tight in a silver dress, leaving nothing to the imagination.  Upon capturing his attention, she ran a hand through her golden curls and licked her blood-red lips.  He stifled back a yawn and turned to face the dinning area.  He wasn't interested in woman like her, though he had bedded countless of them.  They were all the same to him, high-priced whores who only cared for his money.

His eyes scanned the dance floor, looking for no one in particular.  He didn't know why he had agreed to meet at a place like this.  This was where rich snobs like to gather and congratulate each other on their foolish accomplishments.  Even with the seven-digit number in his bank account, he still felt uncomfortable around people like them.  He loosened his collar and shifted in his seat.  They had never been kind to him, only tolerating his presence because of his father.  

A crowd was gathering around the dance floor.  He watched with mild interest at what or who could be holding their attention so avidly, before letting his mind wander.  For the hundredth time that night, he wondered where she was and what she was doing.  He hoped that she wasn't stressing herself out at the office at this late of an hour.  'Maybe I should go check up on her…' he thought, then quickly shook his head at the idea.  'No.'  He'd promised himself that he would stay away from her for the time being.  He wanted her to miss him, to crave for him.

The crowd shifted slightly, giving him a look into the commotion.  A couple was dancing at the very center; barely moving to the music that the string quartet was producing from the far side of the room.  He clenched his teeth, bringing high tension to muscle lining his jaw.  

'No!'

The hand around his drink tightened into a stranglehold.  He wanted to throw it, and watch glass shatter upon impact.  He didn't need to see her face.  His eyes had memorized the smoothness of her back and the glossiness of her hair.  And his heart…  Seeing them together was even more painful than hearing his name slip past her lips.   His brother's hands were on her, touching the silkiness of her skin, and pressing her close against his body.   

He shouldn't have left her alone.  It was a poor move.  He hadn't counted on Sesshoumaru actually taking time off to be with her.  Now his brother was getting to know this treasure, his treasure.

"Hey."  The blonde in the silver stood in front of him, blocking him from his painful vision.  She was obviously not one to be ignored.  Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, accenting her breasts, and a scowl was painted on her flawless face.

He drowned the last of his drink and placed several bills on the counter.  The strong liquor left a burning trail down his throat before settling in his stomach.  He barely felt it.  The urge to get away was beginning to overwhelm his senses.  He needed a distraction.  He studied the blonde standing guard before him, sweeping her form in one quick glance.  

"Let's go."

__

Another song was starting, bringing her momentarily back to the present.  Her eyes fluttered open lazily to see that people were still watching them dance, though some had become restless and had resumed their previous activities.  She absently traced at the buttons on Sesshoumaru's crisp, white shirt.  She had been daydreaming again, reliving the memory of that night.  Her lips pulsated with heat every time she thought about him.  

'Where are you, Inuyasha?  Are you still angry with me?'  Inuyasha hadn't been showing up to work for the past week, choosing to fax and email her documents instead.  She had hoped that the old "out of sight, out of mind" saying would work in her favor, but it only seemed worsen the twinge inside.  

"Well well, what have we got here?" Sesshoumaru suddenly said dryly, stopping his movement. 

She lifted her chin in annoyance and turned slightly, following his eyes to the bar.  All she could see was silver.  

"Looks like my brother has found another wench to warm his bed tonight."

A solitary tear fell down her face and more threatened to follow the first.  Her questions had been answered; she had been a fool.  She drew in a shaky breath and pressed a hand tight against her heart.  

It hurt.

A/N: Ok, I'm not making any promises but I'll really try to get another chapter out by the end of this month.  


	5. No Matter What

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Our Love Affair 

Chapter 5: No Matter What…

By Cataluna

Silver.

The color of his hair, the shade of her dress, who knew that this lustrous sheen of white could cause such a throbbing pain inside?

The pair seemed to be in a hurry to get away from the crowd, or at least he was, being the one in the lead.  He dragged the vixen swiftly behind him, his darkened eyes set stern on the elevator doors at the end of the room.  She eagerly followed with her lips pulled into a triumphant smile, nearly stumbling on her 3-inch stilettos in an effort to keep up with his long strides.  

'Too bad…'

Kagome almost gasped out loud at the voice in her head, deep with contempt and dislike, her hand automatically shot to her mouth to keep the poison-filled words from spilling and reaching nearby ears.  She cast a worried glance at the people around her, wondering if anyone could tell what she was thinking, before letting her eyes drift downward to the dance floor in shame. How could she be so malicious and cruel?  For a moment there, her heart was actually filled with the wish to see the blonde twist her dainty ankles and fall into a heap of gold and silver…anything to keep their obvious plan for the night from happening.  

Her heels dug at the ground as she stared at the glossy, red polish on her toes.  She didn't even know the girl, yet she despised her as much as one would loath a mortal enemy.  The sad thing was that she didn't hate "Blondie" for who she was, but for who she was with, the man who filled her every thought.  She sadly caught sight of them entering the elevator, and felt a hand fist itself around her heart for a second time that night.  The air was becoming too thick for her to breath and her vision was becoming blurred with unshed tears.  As much as she hated to admit it, Inuyasha was a free man, and she was a woman bound to another by a promise.  'I need him…'  She searched desperately for her fiancé, who had disappeared immediately and left her alone on the dance floor with a simple "excuse me" at the ringing of his cell phone, her eyes seeking out anything silver.

Screw it.

She grew weary of the fruitless search and pushed determinedly past dancing couples to the table they had shared.  Someone had cleared it of half-eaten food during their absence, leaving only their wine glasses and a lone candle.  It was low and pathetic, with its flame flickering weakly to the threat of any sudden draft.  Her eyes narrowed, and she extinguished the tiny fire quickly with one breath.  The wick burnt a bright orange before dying away with a tendril of smoke.   She sighed heavily and picked up her purse, glancing around the room one last time in search of him.  He was, as expected, no where in sight.  

Fuck him.

Fuck both of them.

She cradled her purse protectively in her arm and stormed towards the door with as much pride and dignity as she could muster, biting back her tears until she could be inside the privacy of her home.  

'God, I'm late.'  

Kagome impatiently pushed at the elevator button a few more times for good measure, before stepping back to lean against the cool surface of the glass wall.  Her lead-heavy eyes decided to take advantage of the long ride to the top floor and eagerly slid shut to catch some much needed rest.  A low melodic hum sounded unconsciously from her lips to follow the generic-sounding jazz music from above, while her mind cursed at the fact that it was the start of a new week instead of the end of one.  Monday was certainly the most universally dreaded day of the week.  Being a bit of a workaholic herself, she actually looked forward to coming to work.  Now, she wanted nothing more than to stay the entire day in bed, doing nothing but maybe getting fat on ice cream and any junk food she could get her hands on.

Surprisingly, she didn't cry at all last night.  The evening was spent buried in a mountain of bubbles in her bathtub, soaking until her skin grew pruney and hot water would no longer flow from the faucet, with her eyes fixated blankly on the phone by her side.  She had expected at least a phone call from Sesshoumaru or even a concerned visit for her sudden departure from the restaurant.  He had disappointed her by doing neither, making her tattered heart wondered if she was even missed or wanted.  Did he care for her?  Was she being too irrational?  Should she call and apologize for leaving without telling him?  

Instead of sleeping, she had channel surfed, curled up on the couch in a pair of worn flannel she'd had since college, a steady supply of extra-buttery popcorn on her lap.  She'd finally settled on Lifetime, becoming completely engrossed in stories of women who somehow managed to get themselves plunged into crazier situations than her.

The elevator doors finally slid open with a proud "ding."  Her eyes flew open and quickly swept over her reflection in the side wall.  The groan was immediate for the sight was horrifying; a tired woman with dark shadows under her eyes stared back at her.  Her hand lifted to gingerly pat at the bluish tint, half-hoping that the mirror was playing a trick on her.  "I'm a total mess," she declared softly to herself as she scurried towards the board room, trying to cover as much ground as possible in her fitted skirt and heels.  A quick glance at her watch told her that she was already ten minutes late for the presentation.  Fortunately, this meeting was merely a summary of their monthly status; anything that she missed could be filled in by going over the actual report.  It wasn't that crucial for her to be there, but she was the new CEO and one who was trying to earn their respect.  

The secretary at the desk was on the phone, but set it down immediately at the sight of her, her well-manicured hand politely covering the mouthpiece. "Good morning Ms. Higurashi," she said cheerfully, her jaw slacking a bit as she took in the slightly disheveled appearance of her usually more than perfect superior.

Kagome gave a slight nod of her head and mustered up a quick smile in return as she was handed the folder containing the report for the meeting.  She took a minute to catch her breath while skimming through the files, mainly concentrating on the graphs and charts.  "The other's are-?"

"They've started the meeting already."

A heavy frown threatened to set on her face, but she held it back with a tug of her lips, turning it into a forced smile.  She straightened her crème-colored jacket and ran her damp hands down the side of her matching skirt before daring to step into the lion's den.  Everyone twisted simultaneously in his/her seat to stare at her, the latecomer and the interrupter.  Her cheeks flamed red, though her chin held firm, refusing to be stared down like a child in trouble with her parents.  She muttered a quick "good morning" and sat down on her usual seat at the end of the long table, avoiding the puzzled glances they were tossing her way.  She was never late, always prompt and early for every gathering.  

With her report spread out readily in front of her and the presentation resuming once again, diverting the attention away from her, she shifted to relax her tense form.  Already, she could feel knots building at the base of her neck.  Not five minutes had passed before the door opened again, this time with less hesitancy than she had given.  She could already see the annoyance seeping into everyone's face at the second interruption, and the speaker looked ready to kill.

Inuyasha.

She swallowed hard and absently licked her dry lips.  For one fleeting second, she was actually glad to see him, but the events of last night rushed to the surface quickly, reopening tender wounds.  It made her wanted to scream and tell him to get out.  After a week of absence, he had to choose today of all day to show up to work.  She noticed that the people around him were whispering and murmuring about his irresponsible nature, not caring for the fact that he was standing right in front of them.  Despite her anger, she had to admire him for his courage as he continued to stand tall, ignoring their tactless comments.  A quick glare and a raise of his eyebrows got all of them to quiet down fast.  

He didn't look at her as he took the seat that was directly on her right; his frame became the only thing in her view.  He was turned towards the front, giving her the side of his head and a bit of his side.  Her tired eyes all at once became wide-awake, studying him closely and eagerly making up for their time apart.  In spite of his previous stance, he looked every bit as exhausted as she was, lacking the usual energy and power he was able to radiate with just a lift of his hand.  His hair was more ruffled and unkempt than usual, and her hand itched with a sudden impulse to reach out and straighten his locks for him.  'Must have been a wild night…' her wistful mind sounded, and the spider cracks in her heart worsened.  She stared at his ear, his neck, and the clenching and unclenching of his jaw.  'I wonder if last night was a one time thing.  Is she waiting dutifully for him at his apartment…?'

She nearly jumped when he suddenly turned to face her with his lips pulled back into a scowl and his eyes burning with anger, obviously irritated at being stared at.  His abrupt movement had surprised her; she hadn't realized how long she had been watching him instead of paying attention to the meeting.  She locked eyes with him for a moment until her cheeks grew too warm and her lungs could no longer expand to draw in air.  'Damn him for doing this…'  She forcefully turned away and stared at the PowerPoint on the screen, finding the presentation to be very fascinating all of the sudden.  

"… increase in profit by 15%... and we could decrease our costs by cutting back on the…" the voice drone on.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't concentrate, and her face was still ten shades redder than it was supposed to be.  She shuffled at the paper in front of her, squinting on a random page every so often to appear pensive and interested.  She didn't dare to look in his direction, knowing that it was very likely that he was still openly looking her way.  Someone was going to turn around and see what was happening and gossip would follow.  She fumed.  He wouldn't care.  It would be just like him to be uncaring about what others would say.  She wouldn't be surprised if he was also the type to make out or even have sex with a girl in public.  

She coughed violently; her hand curled into a loose fist over her mouth as her shoulders shook, choking at the thought and the vivid image that eagerly followed.  Several people scrambled to get her water at once; one even patted her on the back.  

"Here."

Inuyasha handed her his glass, a flicker of concern adorned his face.  "Th-thank you," she muttered as she shakily took the water from his hand, careful to avoid contact.  It felt great going down her throat, better than the most expensive wine she had the fortune of tasting.  It was during then that she allowed herself another glimpse of him.  He was pretending to be interested in the window view, but she could see that he was watching her out of the corners of his eyes.

Fed up with the numerous cases of interruption throughout the meeting, the speaker quickly wrapped up the rest of the meeting and ended their session.  Kagome made a mental note to give her a small Christmas bonus for all her troubles and gathered her items swiftly, but nervousness made her hands clumsy.  She must have dropped her pen half a dozen times before it would finally settle inside the side pocket of her briefcase.

Everyone had left already by the time she was done, leaving them by themselves in the room.  She didn't understand why he was still there with his arms folded across his chest.  Needing to hear something other than the loud beating of her heart, she spoke out in the flattest and most professional voice she could muster, "Well it's nice to see that you're back to work."

His lips lifted into a tiny smirk as he leaned his upper body forward.  "Is it?"

"I was just trying to be polite."

"And staring is?"

Something snapped inside her: the confusion and frustration she was having over her feelings for him, her jealousy towards that woman, Sesshoumaru's coldness, and the fact that she was caught.  "You jerk," she hissed and braced her arms on the edge of the table, springing to her feet.  She was so angry that she could hardly think, and the amused look on his face didn't help.  She inhaled deeply to calm her composure, deciding it would be better to leave before she completely lost it and ended up saying things she would later regret.

His hand shot out to clasp hers right when she was passing by, whipping her around and almost causing her to fall on top of him from the momentum.

She steadied herself and tugged at the iron-like shackle.  "Get your hand off of me!" 

His playful smirk quickly faded, and he dropped her wrist.  He gawked at her like she was possessed. "What's wrong with you?" 

"Nothing!" she gritted through clenched teeth and picked up her briefcase.

He shot her an exasperated look.  "Fine!" and left the room before she could.

"What about this one?"  Sango held up a copy of "Pretty Woman," one of Kagome's favorite movies.

Kagome lifted her head from her drawn-up knees to shrug with indifference.  "Whatever, I don't really care."

Sango looked at her curiously before opening the plastic case and popping the disc into the DVD player.  She had never seen her best friend looked more upset and worn-out.  Kagome's eyes had lost their usual sparkle and her shirt hung loosely off her frame, the neckline nearly falling off one of her tiny shoulders.  She had received a call from the girl just a short while ago,  It didn't take long for her to realize that something was wrong with her dear friend, her voice was flat and broken as though she was having trouble gathering her strength to speak.  Despite Kagome's protest at feeling fine, she'd practically forced herself through the door with the largest tub of chocolate ice cream she could find.  Now it was just sitting there in front of her, melting.  She picked up the pillow off the couch and sat down next to her.  "Alright, spill it."

"Spill what?"  

"Whatever it is that's bothering you, making you grumpy."

"I'm not-"

"You are."

Kagome sighed softly, knowing perfectly well that this could go on all night if she didn't give in.  

"Is it work?"

She shook her head.

"Man?"  

She leaned her head back on the head cushion and swung her feet onto the coffee table.  "Men," she corrected.

Sango let out a low whistle at her reluctant admittance.  For as long as she had known her, Kagome had always had bad luck with her relationships, but she had never been involved in a love triangle.  It wasn't in her nature to juggle with people's emotions.  "Sesshoumaru and…?" 

Kagome turned her head towards her, a sad smile lifted on her face.  "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."  Her chin lowered to her chest.  

Sango waited patiently for her to continue, knowing better than to push.

"His brother."

She'd spoken so softly that she almost didn't hear her.  "Kag-"

She twisted around to look at her again, eyes beginning to glimmer.  "His brother," she said it more firmly this time.

Her heart broke at the grief-stricken expression on her face.  "Oh Kagome."  She wrapped her arm around the smaller girl in comfort, her head resting against hers.  Kagome's shoulders shook and with it came nonstop tears.  

Kagome picked up a rose from the vase, cradling it in between her fingers, careful to avoid crushing the delicate bud.  They were beautiful, each one of them was in the early process of blossoming and perfectly arranged with respect to one another.  She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, the sweet aroma of nature's perfume and the soft caress of the white petal tickling the underside of her nose made her smile genuine and bright.  

The talk she had with Sango really helped.  For the first time, she was able to speak freely about her worries over her growing and unwanted attraction toward Inuyasha, and Sango had listened to her every word without the slightest show of disgust, only absolute empathy.  They talked throughout the night: crying, laughing, and eating melted ice cream. 

Sango had advised her to follow her heart and don't listen to what anyone else had to say.  But she also reminded her of Inuyasha's notorious reputation.  He was a famed playboy, linked with numerous beauties and models, but never more than twice.  The smoldering looks and lingering caresses could very well be nothing more than a game, tools he'd perfected and practiced often on many women.  His attempts toward her might even be a way for him to get back at his brother.  

As for her fiancé, he was on the company's private jet to take care of a recently acquired factory in Hong Kong.  Sango had made her realize that it was unfair for her to stay mad at Sesshoumaru without telling him why and over something that was probably tied to her frustration with Inuyasha.  They were able to talk for a bit before he left, and he'd apologized for leaving her that night, though she wasn't sure if he was being sincere or not.  He had sounded so formal and collected, like he was treating her as though she was one of his clients.  

Her stomach rumbled soundly, demanding to be fed.  She sheepishly pressed a hand to her belly as if to suppress any more of its protest and glanced at the clock.  It was nearly seven, time for her to drop by the house and have dinner with her family.  She missed her mom's home-cooked meals.  Since taking this job, she had been surviving mainly on takeouts and TV dinner.  She turned off her laptop and stretched, leaning as far back as possible on her hair and extending her arms high above, her ribs expanding to draw in a large breath of air.  

The door sounded with two steady knocks.

"Come in," she called out through a mid-yawn.  Her body couldn't seem to decide if it was more tired or hungry.

He walked in and she nearly fell over backward, her hand shot out to grab hold of the edge of her desk, catching herself just in time.  It took a few minutes and some awkward maneuvering involving heels and a skirt before she was firmly seated once again.    "We've got to stop meeting like this," she mumbled under her breath.  

He laughed quietly, eyes twinkling with amusement at her lack of coordination.  "I agree, not that I'm complaining..."  His gaze traveled casually over to the exposed skin of her stomach before settling on her reddening face.  

She hurriedly tucked the loose end of her shirt back in place.  "What are you doing here?" she had intended for her voice to be cool and collected but somehow it ended up sounding breathy instead.  He ignored her question and sat down on the edge of her desk, focusing on the arrangement of flowers on the other side.  His arm stretched outward to run a finger apathetically across the length of a petal.  "Nice," he said simply and turned towards her, the corner of his mouth curled into a wistful smile.  "My brother got them for you?"

Even though he had meant for it to be a comment rather than a question, she still felt compel to respond, "Yes."

They stared at the flowers for a while, listening to the steady ticking of the clock.

"Inuyasha."  She rested her hand lightly on his thigh, feeling the muscles beneath her fingers turn stiff.  "Why?"

He looked at her for a moment, seemingly at lost for words, before remembering the reason for his visit.  "I want to know why you're so angry with me."

"I'm not-."

"Why you'd refused to speak to me for nearly a week."  He paused and clasped the hand on his thigh, his thumb making soothing motion on its back.  "I thought we were friends."

His hand was so warm and the look on his face…  Not knowing how to respond, she freed herself from his grasp and spun around on her chair, choosing to face the night sky instead of his bright eyes that seemed to grow duller by the moment.  "We're not friends."  She squeezed her eyes shut.  It pained her to say that, but it was for the best, a line needed to be drawn between them before it was too late.  "We're future relatives.  I'll be calling you 'brother' and you'll be calling me 'sister.'"  She drew in a deep breath before continuing.  "That's all we are and ever will be."  There was a moment of silence followed by the shuffling of his suit as he got off her desk and stood beside her, his form casting a large shadow over her own.  She knew that he was staring down at her, waiting for her to look up and lock eyes with his.  'I have to go… have to leave now, before…'  

As though he was reading her mind, he grabbed hold of her the back of her chair, turning it around to make her face him.  "No." 

She swallowed audibly when he propped both his arms on her armrests and closed the distance between them until the tip of their noses were almost touching.  Her body was trembling at his proximity, and she could easily read the hurt and confusion on his face.  "No we're not," she tried to convince both of them again, but her voice was so shaky that she doubted he could even understand what she was saying.  Seeing that her words had absolutely no effects, she forcefully turned her face away and weakly reached up to put the flat of her palms against his chest.  "Please don't," she managed to raise her volume a little.

He ran his hand down her arm until he was holding her hand, comfortingly encasing hers in his large one.  "Please don't what?"  He frowned at the state she was in and gently lifted her chin.  "You're trembling…"  

She bit down hard on her lower lip, fighting against the instinct to lean into his tender caress and almost drawing blood in the process.  Why was he making this so difficult?  Why couldn't he be the jerk that he was supposed to be?  She was supposed to drive him out of her mind and devote her entire being into building her relationship with Sesshoumaru, but that touch, that one simple touch meant more to her than a thousand kisses his brother could have given her.  

"Kagome."  The back of his hand ran lightly across her cheek and her mouth parted a little when the tip of his fingers swept against it.  Her eyelids fluttered, and her chest rose and fell in short intervals as his thumb continued to stroke the fullness of her lips while his other hand took care of releasing her tresses from its hair clip, letting her waves cascade on one side of her shoulders.  She wanted to give in and lose herself, but Sango's warning came rushing back, jolting her senses.  "Don't treat me like I'm some sort of game," she pleaded softly; the pathetic sound of her own voice broke every ounce of control she had been putting in to keep from crying.

He blinked at her words.  "A game?  What game?"

She lowered her head; tears rolled from her cheeks and fell to her lap.  "You're just doing this because you can't have me, and I'm probably one of the last group of women you haven't had the chance to… a-and it'll be a good way for you to get back at your brother."

He caught her chin again.  His eyes were blazing, and the gentleness she could see before turned hard at her accusation.  "Stupid girl, is that the kind of person you think I am?  Someone who has nothing better to do than steal another man's woman?  A person with no conscience?"  He clicked his tongue against his teeth and shook his head sadly.  "And where did you hear all these nonsense?  From office gossip?  From tabloids?"  The reddening of her face confirmed the fact.  He continued, "Idiot, I'm not like that.  You of all people should know how they love twisting things around."  

"I-I…"

He silenced her with his fingers.  "Believe me Kagome; I would want you no matter what."  Her eyes widened at his declaration, and before she could respond, he dipped his head and hungrily replaced the pressure of his fingers with his mouth.


	6. Uninvited

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Our Love Affair 

Chapter 6:  Uninvited

By Cataluna

The door opened quietly, prompting him to glance up from his documents; his secretary stood in front of him with a stack of files cradled in her arm.  Sesshoumaru stifled a sigh at the sight of more work that needed to be finished by tonight.  Acquiring this factory was proving to be more difficult than he had suspected, mainly because of the language barrier.  Everything had to be translated from Chinese to Japanese and back.  He was completely fluent in Chinese, but the people working for him weren't bilingual.  "Yes?" he asked, setting his pen carefully back into the penholder.  

"Ms. Higurashi is still not answering her cell phone."  She placed the stack of folders carefully on the corner of his desk, making sure to straighten any loose paper that had managed to slip out.  

Sesshoumaru frowned; his lips pressed together into a straight line.  _Where was she?  They hadn't spoken to each other since his departure from Tokyo.  "Did you try her office?"_

She shook her head; her weight shifted uneasily under his questioning.  "I'm sorry, Mr. Fukumori.  I didn't think she was going to be there still.  It's past seven already."

"Humph."  His eyes lowered briefly to look at the watch on his wrist -- 7:34.  He had lost track of time again.  He took a drink of his luke-warm coffee, briefly wondering if he had remembered to eat.  Both his doctor and Kagome had advised him against skipping meals.  "Try there then.  She should be there until about eleven."  He picked up his pen again.  Kagome was the only other person he knew who worked just as hard as him.

"Yes sir."  She picked up the phone and began dialing.  After several moments of tense silence, she lowered the phone from her face. "No answer.  Would you like me to hang up?"

"No."  He pressed the speakerphone button so that the dial tone could be heard by him also.  "Let it ring."

Mixed emotions made Kagome stiff and immobile; hands that he had released in favor of the span of her back now hung limply by her sides.  Try as she might, she couldn't breathe, and her eyes had opened so widely that they began to water.  _Is this real?  Is this really happening?_ her mind repeated while her body beckoned for her to respond to lips that were gliding so passionately and expertly over her own.  

The feel of his tongue tracing teasingly across the opening of her lips finally made her mouth fall open softly in compliance, and he wasted no time to use this opportunity to taste her more thoroughly.  Kagome closed her eyes and lifted her hand to palm his cheek -- any sound she might have made was immediately swallowed by his sweet kisses.  His fingers ran through the end of her hair absently before they traveled upward, gathering a fistful of hair at the nape of her neck.

Inuyasha was holding her so closely -- almost as though he was trying to confirm that she was real and not some ghost of an image – that she could practically feel the thudding of his heart through the layers of clothing between them.  It was momentarily frightening to realize that she was the one his heart was beating so wildly for, and that her heart was thundering just as loudly in return.  His lips, his touch, and all the frustration and confusion that had been building up deep inside of her for weeks were starting to strip away her senses; her resolve melting away until all that was left was a woman who wanted to lose herself.  And she desperately wanted to lose herself in him.

He nearly froze as she began to kiss him back hesitantly; her lips barely moving and her thumb lightly tracing the contour of his cheek.  He crushed her toward him, a low growl rumbled through his chest as her tongue massaged his.  Until now, she had been passive, yielding to his kisses but always holding back a part of her.  _You finally realized it, didn't you, Kagome?  You're ready to admit that we're good together._

Her head lowered and her mouth followed in eagerness as he knelt before her, gently parting her knees to accommodate the width of his upper body.  His hands moved under her silk-like texture of her thighs, hooking the back of her knees and pulling forward, succeeding in sliding her off her chair and onto his lap.  Eyes flying open, she gasped into their kiss and instinctively grabbed onto his shoulders to steady her fall, tiny hands squeezing hard at the flesh beneath her fingertips.

Inuyasha parted his lips from hers as he gasped for air, eyes opening to study the lithe body on his lap.  She was magnificent.  Her chest was heaving -- he could feel it rising high against him with every breath -- and her blue eyes had darkened into a stormy gray.  He smiled and brushed away thick bangs that were sticking to her forehead before leaning in to kiss her passionately once more.  A soft whimper was heard when he trailed hot open-mouth kisses down the line of her throat; his teeth scraping the delicate skin gently and his tongue soothing the abuse as breathless pleads came out from parted lips that were swollen red from his kisses.  

Kagome did little to stop him, even going as far as dropping her head to the side to give him better access.  Her hands were working quickly on loosening his tie when she heard the sound of someone whispering, begging over and over again for Inuyasha to continue; a voice that she was mortified to learn was her own.  Still, she continued, pulling the tie from his collar and dropping it silently to the floor, not caring that her skirt was now bunched indecently high around her waist.  When his lips managed to find hers again after he had tasted every spot on her neck, she tilted her head and widened her mouth to deepen their kiss.  

Her kisses became bolder and she began to explore the muscles on his chest as the dizzying waves of heat course through her veins and settled in her stomach.  She could feel the hot pressure of his hands running slowly down the sensitive sides of her breasts before settling themselves on the small of her back, prompting her back to arch and press her form closer to his.  It was too much.  Kagome's hands left his chest to cross behind his neck as she shifted closer to him, thighs hugging tight around his torso while her hips rocked absently against the evidence of his arousal, trying to sooth her ache.

There was an almost inhuman growl that came from deep inside Inuyasha's throat, then the squeaking sound of wheels rolling across wooden floor, before she found herself lying flat on the ground with him on top of her.  She glanced backward briefly and realized that he had pushed her chair aside to make room for them.  "Inuyasha?" she spoke out hesitantly, her voice throaty and nearly unrecognizable to her own ears.  He had stopped his onslaught of kisses just to nuzzle her face, affectionately rubbing their noses together.  Kagome smiled at the sweet and content expression on his face and her fingers reached up to sweep away fallen locks that were shielding his eyes, before cupping his cheeks to guide his lips back over hers.

Her initiation made his kisses more demanding and his hips began to grind against hers in a slow and deliberate motion. She moaned silently and tugged on his jacket, trying to slip it past his broad shoulders.  A soft cry of injustice past her lips when her shaky movement was blocked by arms that were holding her tight.  He chuckled arrogantly at her annoyance and raised his body upward, quickly removing his arms from his sleeves before flinging his jacket carelessly aside.

Instead of her lips, her throat once again became his main concern as he resumed his position, hands working to unbutton the top of her blouse.  Inuyasha was being surprisingly patient -- lavishing each newly revealed part of her skin with much attention before uncovering another -- even though his blood was urging for him to do otherwise.  

_'Does she know?'_ he wondered as his tongue lapped up a glistening drop of sweat that had rolled in between her breasts, his hand inching its way up her thigh.  His lips curled into a proud smile when she cried out his name, her hands burying themselves in his hair to press his face closer to her chest.  _Does she have any idea how much power she has over me?  Her breath came in short pants when he began to trace teasingly at the lacy edge of her panties.  His lips found her again with a vengeance.  "Gods, I've wanted you for so long," he admitted in between kisses.  ___

She sighed softly and loosely wrapped one leg across his hips; her hand acted on their own accord, untucking his shirt from his waistband so that she could feel the smoothness of his back.  "I-I wanted you too…"  And she had.  She was no longer the innocent young thing she once was and had had a few serious boyfriends, but none of them had even came close to making her feel like this.  

He growled softly in reply.  "You don't know how long I've wait for you to give in."

Kagome stiffened something about that statement made her blood turn cold.  _Give in?  She opened her eyes carefully; their lips still locked together.  _GIVE  in?!  _ Instead of Inuyasha's face, she saw Sesshoumaru's -- his eyes staring at her coldly and accusingly.  With a wrenched cry, she tore her mouth away from his and lifted her hands to push against the weight of his body, fingers curling unconsciously at the feel of his heart beating rapidly beneath her palm.  "Oh my god…" she whispered to herself over and over again as she stared at the man above her with wide-eyes.  _

He seemed to be having trouble breathing too; hot puffs of air glazed her face in jagged pants to mix with hers.  "God… oh god… we can't do this," Kagome choked, disgusted by her own weakness.  She tried to pull down her skirt, one hand holding her blouse together to hide her breasts while the other continued to push him away -- anything to make herself look more decent and less… wrong.  "What the heck are we doing?"

Inuyasha exhaled heavily and thrusted his hand into his hair.  "I thought it was pretty damn obvious."

All the blood rushed to her face at his frankness; she closed her eyes as she tried to find her breath, praying that this was just some dream and that she didn't almost had sex with Sesshoumaru's brother.  The warmth from his body and the taste in her mouth told her it wasn't. "We shouldn't have done this," she spoke slowly, the fist clutching her shirt together shook with each word.  "It was a mistake."

He dismissed her excuse with a snort.  "You didn't seem to think that when you had your tongue in my mouth or when I was sticking my hand up your skirt."

"Damn you, Inuyasha!"  Her eyes snapped open and she looked at him with disbelief.  "Don't you know the difference between right and wrong?  Or do you hate your brother that much?"

His jaw tightened at the mention of his brother's name and he had to take his hand out from his hair to prevent himself from tearing out chunks.  _Stupid bitch!   Why the fuck is she being so difficult?  Why can't she just accept it?  He took several deep breaths before replying through clenched teeth, "I don't give a _damn_ about that bastard.  Even __he has to lose sooner or later."_

Her lips trembled uncontrollably and her vision blurred with hot tears.  Not even Kouga had succeeded in making her feel as cheap as she did now.  Kagome felt stupid for believing that he really didn't care about her engagement to his brother and that he had no ulterior motives.  "Is that all I am to you?  A _prize_?" she asked, her voice small and broken.  _Tell me something, Inuyasha… ANYthing.  Don't be like them; let me know that you really do care about me._

"Kagome... you know that's not what I meant," he answered back, sounding completely exhausted. 

His hand moved to caress her face and she flinched as though she had been slapped.  It was no where close to the response she had been hoping to receive, but then, why should she expect anything more from him?  All she knew was that she was tired of being used and sick of men playing with her feelings.  "No I don't know," her voice no longer cracking but firm with anger as she pushed against his unyielding weight.  "Get off of me!" 

Inuyasha stared at her, and watched the pain in her eyes turned into menacing rage.  _Absolute bliss…  He was so close to it, so close to being with her.  Blood drained away from fists that had stationed themselves on the sides of her head, both shaking from the unfairness.  The one woman he wanted most in the world had just denied him, and his brother was once again the source for his misery.  At last, he replied simply in a flat tone, "No."_

She went into frenzy at his denial, struggling wildly beneath him and hammering her fists into his chest. "Get off of me or I'll scream," she threatened, no longer concerned about her nudity.  He barely noticed it; even if her fists were replaced by daggers, he would have remained motionless to her tantrum.  Hurt constricted his chest.  She was so angry with him, no longer the willing temptress she was but a few moments ago; disgust was now apparent on her face.   

He eased his weight slightly off of her so that he was no longer pressed intimately against her, but did not get up.  There was no way in hell that he was going to give her the chance to run off and pretend that none of this had ever happened.  When she moved to slap him, he caught both her wrists and held them firmly in place beside her head.  "Stop it!" he commanded, lips pulled back into a snarl at her continued defiance.  "I'm not getting up until we talk."

The phone began ringing loudly and they both turned to look at it.

"The phone-."

Annoyed by the interruption, he grabbed the phone line and pulled it roughly out of the phone jack before turning back to look at her.  "Talk."

"You bastard," she hissed, "That could have been a client or something."

"You're the only one who likes to work so fucking late.  Now talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Are you fucking stupid or something?" he yelled, making her wince at the loud volume.  "We just kissed, you idiot.  Tell me that it wasn't the best kiss you've ever had."

"I've had better."

"Bull!"  His eyes flickered red from anger.  "You wanted me so much that I could practically smell it."  He released one of her hands and caught her chin, preventing her from looking off to the side.  "Now look me in the eyes and tell me that the kiss meant nothing

She finally stopped moving and her face relaxed into a small smile. "Inuyasha, I…"

He held his breath.  "Yes?" 

"Go fuck yourself," she finished in a syrupy voice.

Inuyasha shook his head, a slither of a smile actually past his lips as he got off of her. _Just like me… stubborn to the core._  There was nothing more he could do to get her to confess her true feelings.  At least she wasn't trying to deny it; that was enough for now.  He leaned back against the edge of the desk, arms folded across his chest, and watched as she braced herself up slowly off the floor on unsteady arms.  "You are absolutely the most frustrating wench I've ever met," he declared, not quite sure if he was insulting or complimenting her.

"Well you're a conceited prick," Kagome mumbled in reply as she rebuttoned her blouse, hair falling forward to hide the faint dash of red that refused to leave her cheeks and eyes refusing to acknowledge the man standing to her side.  She honestly didn't know what to make of his persistence in talking about what had just happened or wanting her to admit that he was the best she ever had.  Despite the racing of her pulse and the traitorous trembling in her stomach, she was also not about to admit to anything.  _Hormones, that's all it was.  Nothing but stupid hormones.'_

She stole a quick glance at him as she groped around the floor for the hairclip that he had dropped.  Her eyes narrowed into slits at what she could conclude to be the smallest evidence of a smirk, and she came into quick conclusion: he was a typical, rich bachelor, and her refusal had hurt his pride.   She ran her fingers quickly through her hair to get rid of all the tangles, before gathering it upward and twisting it into a loose bun.  Her mouth released a small cry of triumph when her hand finally closed around the small object.

"I like it better down."

Her hand stopped ever so slightly at his input.  _And he thought I was frustrating… _With gritted teeth, she gathered the remaining wisps around her face and snapped the hairclip loudly into place.  Well, as loudly as she could manage.  She tucked her legs beneath her and pushed herself off the floor, pulling at the hemline and straightening out the wrinkles on her skirt as she straightened up.  Ignoring him completely even when she felt his eyes sweeping over her, she opened her drawer and took out her black, leather handbag, grimacing when the drawer closed a little too loudly -- her action unintentional.  

She avoided his eyes throughout the entire process, even as she was heading swiftly towards the door.

"Where are you going?" 

Her hand closed around the knob, gripping strongly.  "My mother… I'm late."  The door opened; she paused before exiting and looked back.  He was now sitting hunched forward on top of her desk; the tenseness of his back and shoulders were apparent from where she was standing.  She saw through the reflection from the glass that his elbows were dug into his thighs and his hands were clasped together in mock prayer.  She turned away as his brooding eyes shifted their attention from Tokyo's night sky and caught hers.  "We're done here, so you can see yourself out."

Then he was alone.

He snorted at the muffled sound of her heels echoing down the empty hallway.  "We're far from done, Kagome."

"So how are things going with Sesshoumaru, dear?"

Kagome stiffened; the chicken in her mouth suddenly became dry and tasteless, making her want to spit it out on reflex.  She lifted one finger and gestured to her mouth, the other hand reaching for her wine glass.  Mama watched as she took a large gulp of her chardonnay, forcing the lump of meat down her throat.  

"We're just taking it one day at a time, having dinner and getting to know each other," she answered with a shrug of her shoulders, "The usual stuff…"  _But they're stuff you'll do with a friend, not a boyfriend.  And definitely not anything close to what I did with Inuyasha tonight…  Feeling the beginning of a blush creeping its way up her face, she quickly dropped her gaze to the arrangement of flowers at the center of the table.  _

"Good," her mother stated.  "I'm so glad that things are working out for you two like it had for your father and me.  Time and patience is all it'll take to make a relationship work."

"Yea," Kagome agreed half-heartedly and picked up her fork, absently playing with a piece of broccoli.  If only it was that simple, or as simple as it had been for her parents.  With her dad being an only child, her mom certainly didn't have the misfortune of being caught between two brothers.  "I'm supposed to join him in Hong Kong in about a week-"

"You're going to Hong Kong?" Souta interrupted, finally taking time off from stuffing his face to participate in their conversation.

Mama raised her eyebrows at him.  "Don't talk with your mouth full."

He swallowed quickly and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.  "Hey Kag, pick me up some video games."

"You already have enough video games, probably more than the video center.  Why don't concentrate on something more important, like… school," Kagome suggested and received a dramatic roll of his eyes in return.

"Oh come on!  Even if I somehow flunk my finals, I'm still going to get a 3.9 for this semester."

Kagome had no idea how her brother was able to make college seem so simple.  He barely studied; he was always either playing video games or going out with his girlfriend.  When she was in school, the library was literally her home away from home.  "Can't you get them online or something?"

"It'll take _for_ever," he waved his hand dismissingly at her suggestion.  "Last time I ordered something from Hong Kong, it took almost a month.  Besides, my birthday is coming up."

Kagome finally sighed in defeat.  It was so unfair; he was using those puppy-dog eyes on her again.  "Fine fine.  

His face broke out into a huge grin, and she could see why he was always so popular with girls. "Thank you!"

"I'm not even sure if I'll have time to look around for your games.  This is a business trip, not a vacation."

"Oh Kagome, but it's such an exciting city.  It's not as romantic as Paris but it'll do.  You two should really take advantage of your time there."

_Romantic? _ Kagome almost snorted out loud at her mother's wishful thinking.  She had a feeling that they would be stuck inside the office all day, and any conversation that managed to take place between them would be about work.  Unable to think of a response, she was more than glad when the doorbell rang and took the spotlight off of her.

A/N:

I'm truly sorry for giving anyone the impression that I've stopped writing this fic.  One thing you should know about me is that I don't like to leave things unfinished, so this fic will definitely have an ending.  I will also like to thank everyone once again for being patient, and all the encouraging emails I had received.  

This chapter was the hardest for me to write just because there are so many directions for this chapter to take.  There was a lot of deleting and brainstorming.  I literally had to rewrite this four or five times just to make sure that none of the characters are acting too OOC.  

Concerning Sesshoumaru:  Right now, the main focus is on Kagome and Inuyasha.  I will get more in depth into his character and his relationship with Kagome when she goes to Hong Kong.

Thank you for reading!


	7. Guilty Conscience

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Our Love Affair 

Chapter 7:  Guilty Conscience

By Cataluna

There was a moment of absolute silence as she watched her best friend's eyes grew to impossible size.  Then her mouth fell open, and she screeched, "He _kissed_ you?"  Kagome winced as Sango's voice seemed to bounce and echo loudly throughout the room before reaching her.  _"Again?!"_

"Shhh!" Kagome hushed when she saw that she wasn't quite done yet -- her eyes large and unblinking.  She rose out of her seat and sprinted over to the bed, quickly clapping her hand over Sango's mouth to keep her shocked friend from making any more potentially damaging outbursts.  At first, Sango protested by attempting to bite into her palm, but rationale quickly won her over and she quieted down when she saw the flash of panic on Kagome's deathly pale face.

Teeth gnawing nervously on her bottom lip, Kagome kept her eyes glued to the entrance while listening for the sound of approaching footsteps as worst case scenarios flashed through her mind.  _Please don't let them hear…_  The door had fortunately been closed during their discussion, but she knew better than anyone that the room wasn't exactly soundproof.  Moments passed by and no one came in with questions; they remained undisturbed except for the rhythmic ticking of the clock above her dresser.  Kagome slowly released the breath she had been holding and removed her hand from Sango's mouth.

Sango also sighed in relief before falling dramatically back into the collection of stuff animals her mother had arranged decoratively on her bed since the move to her current apartment.  She picked up Mr. Teddy and clutched the bear to her chest, running her hand absently across its soft, auburn fur, "I felt like I'm in middle school again."

"Sorry," Kagome apologized with a sheepish grin and sat besides her, tucking one of her long legs comfortably beneath her while the other dangled and swung freely over the edge of the bed. "I guess this isn't such a good place for 'girl-talk,' huh?"

Sango laughed and rolled over, supporting the side of her head with her elbow.  "Nope, I thought my heart was going to explode.  It felt like the FBI was about to bust in on us and arrest us for something horrible," she responded and playfully tossed Mr. Teddy at her, which Kagome finally managed to secure safely in her hands after two embarrassing fumbles.  

"Ehh… you know I can't catch."

She smiled, her eyes twinkling with good humor.  "I know."

"Meanie," Kagome mumbled under her breath, forcing back a smile that was threatening to reveal on her lips.  Her eyes dropped downward to the bundle in her hands -- her favorite teddy bear since she was young -- as she waited patiently for a dramatized apology from Sango.  She tapped the end of his nose gently with the pad of her index finger, careful not to rub off anymore of its felt or what was left of it.  His face had became elongated and flat from being slept on for so many years, and one of his beady eyes was coming loose, hanging precariously off a few strands of thread-

"Kagome." 

The sudden shift in Sango's tone made her glance up.  Her best friend looked back at her sternly, though her eyes remained soft and gentle as she rose to a sitting position.  She was one of those people who were able to quickly switch her emotion from silliness to seriousness and back in the matter of a few short seconds.  "I thought…" she began quietly and with much carefulness, "I thought you wanted to talk.  That's the reason why you told me to come over, isn't it?"

Her back straightened as she was reminded of the reason for Sango's visit.  It was true.  As soon as she was out of the building and was strapped safely inside the leather interior of her Lexus, she'd called Sango.  At that moment she had thought it crucial to speak with her and would have driven straight to her home if not for dinner.  Sango was, after all, the only person in the world she could talk to about this, the only one who knew of her complicating attraction for her fiancé's brother.  

Kagome had also thought that words would come pouring out of her mouth once they were alone in her room.  That'd proven to be more difficult than she had imagined for her indecision over whether she was more excited or upset at Inuyasha left her tongue-tied and her head spinning.  The only thing she had managed to splutter out were those three little words… "he kissed me" that had prompted Sango's near-hysteria.  

Nodding, she opened her mouth slightly before closing it, and swallowing hard to get rid of the lump in her throat.  She heaved a sigh.  She feared she would end up sounding more like a giddy school girl than a supposedly guilt-ridden woman.  _What have you done to me? I'm usually more sensible and reasonable than this.  _The more she thought about that kiss --replaying it over and over again-- the more her mind tried to justify his words and action, desperately wanting to help her forgive.  _But I can't,_ she reminded herself.  Her life would be easier- everything would be easier and less complex if she stayed angry.  

_If._

Kagome lay down on the spot beside her, her arm thrown behind her head as she stared up at the only white surface inside her room.  She grimaced inwardly at her poor childhood taste.  If only she had more common sense back than and hadn't begged her mom to drench her room in pink.  _If only a lot of things… _she mentally added to her list of regrets as she gathered her courage.  "Yea, he kissed me," she quietly repeated exactly what she had told her earlier with her eyes squinted tight to shield herself, not wanting to see Sango's face fell into disappointment.  She drew in a shaky breath before continuing, her voice trembling through every syllable, "An-and I kissed him back." _ Please please don't think I'm a horrible person.  I don't know what I'll do if you think that…_

Sango said nothing, not knowing how to response without sounding harsh and condemning.  It was one thing for Inuyasha to kiss her, but now...  She gazed down at Kagome, who was still purposefully refusing to look her in the eyes.  _Is she that afraid of what I think?_  She was Kagome, her best friend -- almost like a sister to her – and one of the sweetest people she knew.  She could never think terribly of her and wanted only for her happiness.  "This… this isn't the first, you've kissed him before-"

"But that was when I was too drunk to know what I was doing… and I didn't know who he was…" Kagome interrupted, her eyes grew shiny with moisture and a wistful smile tugged at her lips – one that she didn't realize was forming and also one that did not escape Sango's sharp eyes.  "He was just a stranger then, trying to help me out and keep me out of trouble.  I also wasn't engaged to his brother at that time."  She laughed dryly as memories of that night came flowing back to her, "And boy, was I trouble.  I kept coming onto him even though he was trying to be a gentleman.  I was practically molesting him."  Her laughter suddenly died from her throat and her expression returned to somberness of before.  "But this time I did it because I wanted to… and because I needed to," her voice near inaudible during that last part, almost like she was surprised by her own confession.

"A-are you going to continue with this?"

Her response should have been a flat-out "no," but she hesitated, her lips still tingling from his kisses.  She turned over on her stomach and wrapped her arms tight around a pillow, burying the side of her face on its soft contour.  "I can't…  I mean, no," she whispered. "I can't risk everything for one man I'm not even sure about.  I mean, we've talked about this before… it may just all be a game to him, something for him to pass time."

A comforting hand touched her shoulder.  "You really think that?"

_"Stupid girl, is that the kind of person you think I am? Someone who has nothing better to do than steal another man's woman? A person with no conscience?" _

She pressed her face harder against the pillow, muffling her already strained voice, "I-I don't know.  I don't know anything anymore," she admitted flatly.  _Damn you, Inuyasha!  You've completely messed with my mind, my life, my heart…  I've never been so unsure of anything in my life._

"Kagome, you need to end this now before everyone gets hurt."  

Kagome nodded solemnly in agreement.  Sango was right -- of course she was -- many people would be hurt by this, especially Sesshoumaru.  He deserved someone better than her, a devoted wife who could remain faithful and loyal.  She had to end this now!  In case she hadn't been able to get her point across clear enough, she would talk to Inuyasha tomorrow and make him understand that tonight could never happen again.  Then all she had to do was stay away from him until she left for Hong Kong.  _Yea, it's all very simple._  She would be with Sesshoumaru and he would be with his girl-of-the-week.  Everything would be back to normal by the time they returned.  

But her heart tightened painfully inside her chest at the very thought of staying away from Inuyasha, him being with someone else, never touching him again…

"Break off this engagement."

Her throat made a small choking sound, and she sat up at once to stare wordlessly at her friend.  This certainly was unexpected.  

Seeing her obvious confusion, Sango added, "You can't go into a marriage like this.  What happens when two years down the line you suddenly realize you really do want to be with Inuyasha, and not him?  You'll be _miserable _and I know that you're not the type to divorce_._  Then everyone will be even more hurt, especially you.  Break it off now, Kagome.  Break it off before it's too late.  "

"But this isn't just about me," Kagome protested, her tensed shoulders hunching forward as she took Sango's words into consideration, "It's about my entire company, my family, a promise."

Sango shook her head; a deep frown marred her face.  Kagome had always been selfless but this was ridiculous.  "No.  This is all about you.  You're not just some pawn on a chest board; you can't let other people run your life."

"He could be using me to get back at his brother.  I mean, he even said something close to it tonight."

She looked at her curiously.  "What did he say?"

"He said you don't know how long I've waited for you to give in."

Sango shook her head.  For some reasons, she didn't want to think the worst of Inuyasha anymore.  Something about the look on Kagome's face, the way she had described their kiss made her think that she could really be happy with him, more than she ever could with Sesshoumaru.  "Do you really believe that?  Maybe you misunderstood him."

"Those were his exact words," Kagome replied flatly.

"You still need to break it off."

"I can't-"

"You have to!"  Sango pointed to the empty space on her ring finger, "Look, you're not even wearing your ring.  You only wear it when you see Sesshoumaru.  The rest of the time it's stored away in your drawer.  Now how can you marry him when you can't even wear his ring?"

"I know," Kagome admitted for the first time in a quiet tone, looking down at her hand briefly before closing it into a fist.   She got up and stood beside the window, tired of arguing when Sango could see through her every attempt.  "But I can't break things off without giving him an explanation or a chance.  And I most certainly can't tell him it's because I can't stop thinking about his brother."  

"Then say you're not ready.  Say you need to get to know him better… just _say_ something, _anything!_" Sango all but pleaded.

Kagome sighed in exasperation and combed her fingers through her hair, slightly tugging at the end in aggravation.  If only it was that easy and if only she knew for sure that Inuyasha wasn't playing with her.

She arrived at work especially early the following day, having spent yet another night wide-awake, her eyes staring blankly at the clock on her night table until all the numbers began to bleed into one another.  It was a wonder that she had been able to function at all for the past weeks, her mind never fully resting while she went about each day in a mechanic fashion.  An early beam of light shone through the windshield right when she was past the security gate, bringing dancing spots before her vision and giving her tired eyes an excuse to close.  

Kagome's face twisted into a frown and she willed her eyes to remain open as she carefully pulled her car up to the main entrance, glad that she was no longer a hazard on the road.  The guard sitting beside the revolving door laid down his morning paper and greeted her with the usual gruff hello.  He gestured to the young man next to him – someone she hadn't seen before -- who was quite engrossed by the article he was reading.   A loud cough from the guard caught his attention and he quickly stepped forward to open her door, nearly doing a double-take when he realized she wasn't just another employee.  

He blushed and pushed his wire-framed glasses back into place, his gloved-hand extending outward to help her out of the car.  Kagome graciously took his hand and stifled a giggle as his cheeks grew redder by the second; her other hand dragged her briefcase behind her while she planted her heels carefully on the curb.  She handed him her keys and thanked them both for the service before walking inside the building, unaware of the set of eyes that lingered on her or the conversation that followed…

The old guard raised a bushy, gray brow at the boy when he continued to stare openly after Ms. Higurashi with a dumbfounded expression, the car keys dangling loosely in his hand.  "Don't even think about it, boy," he warned.

He blinked and shook his head as though he was attempting to clear an illusion.  "Think about what?"

"First of all she's WAY out of your league and second…" he huffed and flapped his newspaper open in one quick motion, instantly scanning for the article he was reading before, "In case you haven't heard, she's engaged to a very powerful man… Sesshoumaru Fukumori.  That's one man you don't ever want to fucking mess with… you'll have to be a complete moron to do that.  He'll crush you like a bug for even thinking about her."

A loud gulp worked down his throat.  He sighed longingly and gave one last look at the retreating figure of his boss before getting inside her car…

Kagome turned to face the entrance while waiting for the elevator, nodding with satisfaction as the new hire cautiously maneuvered her car away from the driveway.  The one before had been too reckless.  He was up to his third minor mishap before Grandpa finally had to fire him.  The door opened.  She entered the elevator chaff and pressed the floor to her office.  Sometimes she wished that her grandfather was still in charge of the company.  If not for his deteriorating health, she probably would have said no to the whole deal. 

Then things would have been different.

_But would it?_  She walked out of the elevator and into the empty corridor, her eyes focusing on the delicate pattern on each marble tile.  They never would have met in the first place if she hadn't been so upset about the arrangement that night, ready to use alcohol as a way to forget.  Would they have known each other as more than someone who traveled in the same social circle?  Other than business rivals?  It was highly likely they would have remained as names spoken only by others but never by each other.  _But that's good, right?  That's what I want right now, isn't it… for him to leave me alone so that my life can be the way it was before?_

_Life really is a bitch, _she thought with a soft groan as she neared the door to her office, even _she_ had trouble believing in her own argument.  _Then what do you really want, Kagome? For him to "bother" you?  _She could feel the onset of another pounding headache just from trying to answer questions she had spent the better half of the night pondering.  _No use thinking about it now, wait till later when he's actually here…  _Besides, she needed to concentrate on- 

Kagome took a step back from the door, her brows knitting together in puzzlement as she stared at the desk on her left, finally noticing her secretary's absence.  Ami was always there, even when she was an hour early.  But today, her seat was unoccupied, and her desk was emptied of personal belongings – a witty mug she had gotten on a trip to Florida and pictures of her family.  She caught her lip between her teeth in worry, wondering if she had overlooked her resignation letter.  Ami had been her personal assistant since she had started working.  Determined to at least find out the reason for her sudden departure, she hurriedly entered her office and froze.

A man she had never seen before stood next to her desk, waiting, his expression stern and unwavering.  His height was slight, shorter than average and quite possibly stood a few inches below her.  She regarded him carefully, wondering if she thought hard enough that the guards downstairs would hear her and come to her rescue.  _Where in the hell did he come from?  He couldn't have gotten past the gate and the guards that easily.  _All employees were required to wear security badges.  Visitors had to get passes from the front desk.

His eyes were studying her quite intently, causing her to shift uncomfortably from both his blatant inspection and his unwanted presence.  Finally she broke the silence, her hands clenched to the sides as she spoke in a steady tone even though she was ready to turn around and run if needed, "I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong office."

A sound of irritation escaped from the back of his throat.  He ran a stubby finger down the surface of her desk and brought it up to his face, eyes narrowing in scrutiny behind his glasses.  "Ms. Higurashi, I've been waiting for you."

"And you are?"

"I am Jaken, Mr. Fukumori's most faithful employee," he replied, his wrinkled face beaming with pride.

Kagome relaxed visibly, having remembered Sesshoumaru had mentioned such a person.  That would explain how he was able to get inside the building, but not why he was here.

"You're wondering why I am here?" Jaken asked as though he had read her mind.

She nodded.

"I am here on behalf of Sesshoumaru to assist you."

"Assist me?" she repeated in surprise, "I thought that's why Inuyasha is here… so he can help me."  

Jaken gave a noticeable frown at the mention of his name, arousing Kagome's curiosity.  She knew that Inuyasha was not a popular man among his family and there were no love lost between the two brothers.  The reason for their animosity towards one another had always been vague, and she was never the type for gossip to press for more details.  _He seems like he would know a lot about their family history…_  Not wanting to look like a snoop by asking questions, she waited for him to elaborate on that emotion.  To her disappointment, he did not.  "I am not here to assist you in your business matters.  My purpose here is to help you."

"I have my own personal assistant for that and she is very good at what she does," she answered as politely as she could, purposefully leaving out the fact that Ami might not be working here anymore.

"She is not doing a well enough job."

Her eyebrows arched.  "According to whom?"

He lifted his hand to cover a dry cough, before answering, "According to Mr. Fukumori, she is expendable."

Kagome looked at him with complete disbelief as everything fell into place.  "You fired her?"  _Who the hell does he think he is?_

"Yes."

"How _dare_ you!" she exploded, causing Jaken to jump back a little at her sudden temper.  "You have absolutely no right to do that."  She was seething.  She had never been so mad in her whole life.  How dare this man just waltzed inside her company and fired her most trusted employee without even asking her first.  She would have to set aside valuable time to straighten this incident out later on.

 "It was Mr. Fukumori's order.  He fired her through me."  His voice trembled a little and he braced one hand on the corner of her desk.  

"I want you to get him on the phone.  Now."

He wasted no time dialing his number, watching her carefully out of the corner of his beady eyes like she would strike at him.  "Good morning, Mr. Fukumori.  Sorry to disturb you, but your fiancée would like to speak with you."  He handed her the phone which she all but grabbed it out of his hand, spinning around on her heels to face the window.

"Kagome."

The calmness of his voice increased her anger.  He didn't even sound apologetic.  "What.  Is the meaning of this?"

"I thought you needed a better assistant."

"What makes you think I want that toad of a man to help me with anything," she replied darkly, ignoring the sound of shock that came from behind.

"I need someone who can answer the phone and tell me where I can reach you."  He paused and inhaled deeply.  "Where were you last night?"

She ignored his question.  "You fired her for that reason?  Because she wasn't spying on me and reporting back my every move?  I thought you were above that, but you're acting like a jealous boy."  She turned to glare at the man behind her.  "So what is he?  My prison guard?"

 "As my future wife, you will pay me with more respect in front of my employee." His voice remained stable though she could sense the anger that lied beneath it and the amount of control he was exerting to keep it that way.

At this point, she could care less about Jaken's impression on their less-than relationship.  Her temper—as rare as it was – was terrible.  "Then maybe I shouldn't be your wife," she shot back quickly without having thought through what she was about to say.  She wanted a husband, not a man who dictated her every move and going as far as sending in a guy to watch her during his absence.  A voice nagged inside her mind, _but are you blowing this out of proportion on purpose?  Trying to get out of this mess by placing the blame on him?  _

_Maybe... but he's still wrong, _she fumed internally.

The line between them was silent for a long while as she waited for his response.  She was beginning to wonder if he had hang up when he spoke again, "Do you know how many times I called you yesterday?  And how long I waited for you to pick up?"

The hand that was practically strangling the phone a moment ago loosened its hold and the anger on her face softened to guilt.  Kagome sat down in her chair, idly playing with a strand of hair that had fallen from her hair tie.  "You… were worried?" she asked quietly.  She didn't think he could get away from work long enough to worry about her.

"Yes."

"I- wh- I'm sorry."  Her chin fell heavy to her chest.  _Oh gods, that means the phone call last night when Inuyasha and I were together was from him… _ "I didn't mean to worry you or anything."

Kagome heard the shuffling of paper before he replied, "Your secretary will be rehired with a raise and added bonus."

"Thank you," she answered with hesitant, not sure of what else she could say.  It felt strange thanking him for something she didn't need his permission for and could have done herself.  But right now, she was at the point of agreeing to almost everything to make up for what she did.

"And Jaken is to stay here and remain by your side also."

Inuyasha drummed his fingers against the dashboard and stole another glance at his watch.  7:31 and already rush hour had begun.  There were millions of cars all around him, all different size and colors, all inching slowly towards their destinations.  He "keh" loudly to himself, wishing he was riding his motorcycle instead as he eyed the grassy, unblocked medium.  _And to think I was actually going to get there on time today._  He snarled and gritted his teeth as the driver beside him blared his horn loudly and continuously, each honk driving a bigger wedge inside his head.  

He rolled down his window and shouted, "Shut the fuck up you bitch."  His eyes widened when he saw the driver, a little old lady who was making obscene gestures at him.  _The fuck…_  He was expecting a rich, obnoxious snob who could get into a fight with, not someone old enough to be his grandma.  Not sure of how to react, he quietly rolled the window back up and sunk back on his seat, tuning the radio to a classical station.

He rubbed the back of his head and let out a ragged sigh, feeling a slight relief from the tension in his body now that the noise of the traffic was no longer ringing loudly in his ears.  He glanced at the clock again, estimating around thirty more minutes before he reached the office…and thirty more minutes before he stomped inside that stubborn wenches' office and forced those ridiculous ideas out of that pretty, little head of hers.

_"Is that all I am to you, a prize?"_

He groaned and shook his head.  Her eyes at that moment were incredibly bright as she waited for his response, and like always, he had ruined it by opening his big mouth.  When would he accept the fact that his action really did speak louder than his words?  He should have just grabbed her and kissed her until they were at an understanding.  He smiled to himself and moved into the right lane as traffic began to pick up again.  

A very clear understanding.

A/N:

I want to thank everyone for their kind support and comments.  I truly appreciate every one of them.  You guys are a great bunch of readers, and I do feel guilty for not updating faster.  Also, I'm glad you enjoyed the bit of citrus I added in there.  

Of course there are still a few who don't understand that life and school take precedent over a hobby, especially since this is my last year in college.   For the last time, using curse words in my reviews or sending me rude emails will not make me update faster.  If you are that impatient, then read something else.

Q & A time!  

Q: Who will Kagome end up with?

A: Ahh…the one everyone wants to know and one I can't answer.  Well there are 3 possible endings right now.  She'll end up with Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, or no one.  It all depends on the mood I'm in and where this story takes me.  

Q: Will the merger work if she ends up with Inuyasha instead?

A: Do you think Sesshoumaru would trust a person who had cheated on him enough to share half of his company?

Q: Did Sesshoumaru hear the conversation between them?

A: I messed up big time on that one.  I forgot that knocking the phone over is the same as answering the phone.  Can't have him figure everything out so early now, can we?  So I changed it to pulling the line out instead.

Q: Sesshoumaru is so cold…

A: He has to be, or he'll be majorly OOC.  

Q: Inuyasha is a jerk…

A: He's not a charming guy.  He's rash and says the first thing that comes to his mind.  Too bad Kagome can't "sit' him in this one, huh?

Q: How's college life? ^_^

A: Some people do party a lot in college but they're usually the ones who don't finish school.  Language arts as in English?  I tested out of one of them and the other I took during summer school.  You just have to write a lot of papers.

Remember, you can sign up for me to email you when a new chapter comes out.  Also you can check the status of completion in my profile.  http: //cataluna281. notifylist. com/ola. Html  Be sure to take the spaces out.


	8. The Trouble with Lust

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Our Love Affair 

Chapter 8: The Trouble with Lust

By Cataluna

Kagome jumped, startled by the sudden bang against the wall as she passed by Inuyasha's office.  What came next were a string of curse words that had the ability to make a sailor blush. Her brows furrowed; one hand pressed over her heart as she wished for it to calm. _What was that all about?_  Curiosity got the better of her and she looked around to ensure the corridor was empty before creeping closer to the entrance.

 "GET the _fuck out of my office before I really lose my temper," Inuyasha roared, his voice booming with anger._

She reared back in surprise, feeling almost like the threat was directed at her.  There was a small thud, followed by the sound of feet scrambling to reach the door.  Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, she stepped back and pressed her back flat against the wall, making herself as imperceptible as possible.

"Ungrateful son… your father would be rolling over in his grave," Jaken mumbled as he stomped out of the office in his expensive leather shoes.  To her relief, he didn't bother looking in her direction when he walked away, his hands busy straightening out his jacket and the awful tie around his collar.  Kagome couldn't help but smile at his disheveled appearance.  _Well that would explain it.  He has a way of getting on everyone's nerves, and Inuyasha is definitely not mild-mannered._

Jaken hadn't bothered to close the door, leaving it wide open for spectators.  She peered in cautiously and immediately spotted a brooding Inuyasha by the window, his hands clenched tightly enough to turn each knuckle white.  The tension radiating from his body rolled over her like dark waves.  She briefly considered walking away before deciding against it for reasons she did not know or understand.

Kagome knocked softly on his door twice to announce her presence before walking in and closing the door silently.  He didn't acknowledge her as she neared him, his eyes staring down at the street below them.  She said nothing either, simply choosing to stand quietly behind him.  In spite of the complications that ran between them, the need to reach out and comfort him was overwhelming.  She wished she knew what had happened to make him this way.  She lifted her hand hesitantly, drawing it back twice before letting it rest on his broad shoulder.

Inuyasha stiffened, then relaxed under her touch.  He turned his head a little towards her, "Why are you here, Kagome?"

Kagome closed her eyes briefly before reopening them, asking herself the very same question.  Her parched throat managed to work itself into giving him an answer.  "Are you okay?"

A humorless laugh escaped his mouth as he spun around to face her, causing her to remove her hand and take a small step back.  "Peachy, just peachy," he responded dryly.

"Jaken upset you didn't he?" she asked, choosing her words carefully in order to not appear overly pushy.  A tiny voice urged her to share with Inuyasha her distaste for that man, but she decided against it in favor of maturity.

"He's not the only one."

"I-" she started, then closed her mouth.  _How do you respond to a comment that is obviously directed at you? _ There were deep shadows on his face.  Anger rose as she remembered he was not the only one who was left upset last night.  _How dare he try to make me feel guilty?  I'm the one who should be upset!  She had cried because of him, lost sleep because of him, and now he was trying to pin everything on her._

Inuyasha caught the flickering of a myriad of emotions in her eyes, recognizing rage when he saw it.  "Whoa Kagome, I'm not talking about you."

"Then who-"

"My brother and Toad-head."

Kagome burst out laughing at the nickname he had given Jaken, ignoring the strange look he was shooting in her direction.  "He IS rather toad-like.  I called him a 'Toad of a man' to his face just this morning."  

He joined in with a few good chuckles of his own, his teeth flashing.  She noticed they were white, not the ridiculously blinding kind most celebrities seemed to have nowadays, but a good natural shade that came from taking care of his teeth.  The beams of sunlight filtering through the windows behind him brought out extra highlights in his hair and added shadows to his face, making his eyes seem even more golden than usual.  

His laughter stopped abruptly and he looked at her, catching her stare.  Blushing hotly, she tore her eyes away and looked down at the floor, feeling his eyes sweeping over her like silk caress.  "I've known him longer than I would like.  Toad-head's been annoying the hell out of me since the day I was 'welcomed' into this family.  He was my father's advisor first, before becoming Sesshoumaru's."

She tensed visibly, and the shame of her reaction – though unwanted and unintended -- instantly filled her.  It was a response she had almost grown accustomed to and could not seem to prevent each time his name was mentioned in her presence.  _And it's not his fault, it's not his fault at all…  Her guilt was to blame, the cause of it all._

Warm hand enclosed hers as she berated herself over her own behavior, his thumb sliding gently across her palm.  _Oh gosh, I can't, I can't. _She fought hard to resist a shiver and tried without success to pull her hand back.  

"Why are you here, Kagome?" he repeated his question from earlier, the one she still didn't know how to answer.  She was thinking of a way to get out of it when he added, "And I want a straight answer this time."

"I was passing by when I heard shouting," Kagome replied carefully.  It wasn't a total lie; she really was passing by when he was "roughing up" Jaken, but the truth of the matter was that she had passed by there with the intention of seeing him.  That part, he didn't need to know, and she would never admit.

Inuyasha looked at her, amused.  "Is that all?"

"Yes."  She tugged at her hand again, waiting for him to release it.  He didn't.  He pulled her closer to him so that she was painfully aware of every breath he took; he brought his other hand up to gently cup her cheek.  The need to lean into his palm was torturous.  "Inuyasha, let me go," she pleaded and made the mistake of meeting his eyes.  The desire was the same as before, maybe even stronger and clearer.  The air circulating in the room suddenly became too thick to breathe.  Her tongue nervously darted out from between her mouth the wet dry lips, and she immediately regretted her actions when his eyes found a new focus. 

Her hands moved instinctively between them, and she felt the heat radiating from his well-defined chest and the strong pounding of his heart beneath her palms.  

"About last night," Inuyasha began, smoothing back a tendril of hair that had fallen across her cheek.  "I have a way of screwing everything up with my mouth.  So whatever you're thinking, it's not true.  I don't like my brother, but I'm not using you.  I would never use anyone like that.  I would never do that to you."  He paused, his thumb tracing her cheekbone.  "I'm going to stop talking now before I mess up again," he whispered as he leaned forward.

Her breath caught in her throat and she could hear each distinct beat of her heart roaring loudly in her ears as his face came closer.  "Inu-" she started to protest, fearing the consequences that would follow if she allowed him to kiss her right now.

But he didn't, as though he could sense her anxiety, his lips moved upward to tenderly brush the center of her forehead instead -- it was a kiss to comfort, not to entice.  Her eyes closed halfway as she concentrated on the warmth from his lips, hands losing strength and slipping from between their chests till they found themselves on his back.  The line of his throat was right in front of her.  She leaned in and inhaled deeply, breathing in the natural scent of his skin mixed with expensive cologne.  She tilted her chin for him when his lips left her.  At that moment, she wanted him to kiss her more than anything.  

He whispered something incomprehensible in her ear before releasing her and stepping away.  Her eyes flew open in shock, and she stared dumbly after him.  If his purpose was to confuse her then he had succeeded in everyway possible.  

^^^

His eyes rarely left her throughout dinner, observing her quietly as she laughed, as she wiped the corner of her mouth with her napkin, and as she charmed the two men sitting directly in front of them.  He had never liked them, especially now with their eyes roving over her even though she was dressed conservatively in a black cocktail.  Both men were old – well past their fifties – and married with children.  In another word, they were old enough to be her father.  They were sick sons-of-bitches and unfortunately for him, important shareholders of the Fukumori Corporation.  _Meaning I'll have to be on my best behavior or Sesshoumaru will talk my ears off._

Pretending to like them was torture, having to spend time with them was even worse, and his brother fucking knew it.  _That sadistic bastard…  _Inuyasha couldn't help but scowl when they jokingly asked her for a dance, especially when Kagome tossed her head back and laughed warmly in return.   She was the only reason why he had agreed to come; they weren't stupid enough to try anything with him here.  He took a sip of his drink, wishing it was regular beer instead of aged wine that had been around longer than he had.

Jaken was supposed to be here as well but he was actually taking time out from spying on him, stuck with running an important errand for his brother that he hoped would occupy his time for the next year or so.  The mere thought of that bastard darkened his already foul mood.  He shifted in his chair and picked the floral centerpiece -- composed of roses and a lone candle -- as the focal point of his glare, not bothering to look up even when their waitress came by to remove the empty plates from their table.  

His eyes dropped sharply to the sudden but comforting pressure on his lap.  A hand -- her hand -- rested on his knee and left with a light squeeze as she stole a quick, concerning glance at him from under her long lashes before facing forward once more, cheeks tinted a lovely shade of pink.  A warm, rare feeling came over him, along with a sense of calmness, and he had to forcibly stop himself from staring at her with his mouth hanging wide open.  _What the hell was that? _ Luckily, it seemed like only they were aware of the entire exchange.

_'Whatever it is,_ _only one person can answer that question and I won't be able to do that with an audience,' Inuyasha thought determinedly, catching the waitress just as she was leaving with a request for their check.  Kagome looked at him with puzzlement, and he stood towering over everyone before she could question.  "Tomohiko, Hatayama," he nodded at the two men in front of him and extended his hand forward, "It was good meeting with you and thank you for coming," he told them as politely as possible.  The expressions were priceless since they were not unaware of his dislike for them._

He shook their hands firmly and Kagome rose to follow suit, not wanting to break the rules of business etiquette.  There was a moment of awkward silence as they all looked at each other, standing stiffly before their seats, waiting.  '_Enough of this!' _he nearly growled out loud._  These idiots just don't know how to take a hint._  "We'll take care of it," he assured them, drawing his wallet from the inside pocket of his jacket for emphasis, "Have a good night."

As soon as they were gone, he sat, stretched out in his seat in the manner of a lazy jungle cat as he turned to look at her.  Her large eyes had narrowed and darkened to a midnight blue and her full lips were stretched thinly.  Clearly, she was annoyed, and she was about to let him have it.

"What was that?" Kagome hissed, hitting him lightly on the arm after making sure no one was watching, "I wasn't done yet!  I still have a few other points to go over."

Inuyasha smiled, shrugging off her anger with a casual roll of his shoulders.  "I can ask you the same thing," he answered back, lightly glazing the back of her hand with a sly touch of his thumb, "In fact, I'm going to." 

The blush on her cheeks returned, and she drew her hand back quickly as though she had been burned, having found a sudden interest at her lap.  "I'm not going to talk about this with you here," she spoke, her voice in a shy, near-whisper.

"Then where?  Your place or mine?"

She stood, her face flushed with anger as she gathered her purse in her hand, "Neither, never.  And for your information, Inuyasha Fukumori," she deliberately enunciated each syllable of his name like it was a dirty word.  "I was only trying to calm you down.  You looked ready to throw a tantrum and we couldn't have that happening here and in front of them."

His hand tugged hers and she followed reluctantly, not wanting to cause a display.  The secluded corner of the restaurant was intimate, but did not guarantee the privacy needed.  His sharp eyes turned toward the other diners as the back of his hand left a quick, feather-light trail down her jaw, smiling softly when she leaned slightly into him.  No matter her tone, what she'd confessed was unexpected.  "Didn't know you cared."

Kagome was silent as the waitress came with the check and left with his credit card.  "It's getting late, I really must go."

"I'll take you home," he offered, "Just let me get my card back."

"No!" she protested with raised voice, immediately dropping it back to a whisper when she realized how loud she had been, "Please no.  I'll just take a taxi."

Inuyasha frowned.  _Do I scare you?  Do you hate being with me that much?    He recalled the many times she had looked at him, her eyes full of undeniable longing even when she was angry with him, the way she had reacted to him -- the bright colors on her cheek, the quick catch of her breath.  '_No,'_ he promptly declared to himself, _'That's not it at all.'_  "You don't trust me or you don't trust yourself?"_

She looked about ready to protest, to yell at him for his presumptions.  '_You can deny it all you want, but I know I'm right about this, Kagome,' he thought even as he braced himself for a stinging slap across his face.  Instead, she sighed loudly, bringing her hand up to lightly massage the space between her eyes.  "I don't know, Inuyasha," she confessed with a shaky smile, "I don't know much of anything anymore."  _

For a split second, the expression on her face was enough to make him want to give up on his pursuit.  _I'm sorry for putting you through all this.  If you marry my brother, it'll be worse, much worse.  You belong with me, not him._  His hand cautiously clasped hers under the table, and he dared a small smile when she didn't pull away.  _I can't give you up.  I won't.  "Alright, I won't bug you anymore tonight, but at least let me wait with you until the taxi gets here." _

"But-"

"I'm not taking no for an answer."

Kagome laughed, eyes sparkling with mirth as she tucked an imaginary piece of hair behind her ear, "You never stop, do you?"

"I'm persistent," he replied, pausing as the waitress came by again to return his card.  He took a quick glance at the total before adding in a rather generous tip. "That's one of my best qualities."

"I call it annoying."

"Annoyingly handsome?" he teased, lips drawn up into a lopsided grin.

"Annoyingly annoying."

"What about annoyingly charming, or annoyingly hot?"

She laughed again as she shook her head, giving his hand a light squeeze before letting her fingers slide from his grasp.  Already, he missed the feel of her hand inside his – the way it should be – but at least he had succeeded in making her smile.  

_At least._

^^^

Jaken watched silently from the entrance of the restaurant, arriving just in time to catch the glide of his vile hand against her cheek.  His thin lips twisted into an ugly scowl and his eyes slanted into slits. _ How dare he!_  And she was not exactly unresponsive either.  Even from where he was standing, he could see something was there between them, something undeniable.  

"This is not good," he mumbled under his breath, causing the hostess to look strangely at him, "Not good at all."

"Sir, are you sure you don't want to be seated?"

He didn't bother answering her, walking out the door with a loud huff as he took his cell phone out of his pocket.  He had seen enough. "I'll have to stop this."

^^^

A/N:

Longer chapter and slower update or shorter chapter and faster update?

Sorry guys for the length of this chapter.  I know it's not as long as it used to be but I'm having trouble with the other scene and I don't want to make you wait another month.

I know I say this a lot but your reviews and emails really do mean a lot to me.  I read each and every one of them, and I'm more than surprised that most of you haven't given up on my slow updating.

I was recently plagiarized on the Access Inuyasha site along with a few other authors.  Let me just say that I am not working my ass off on this so that someone (who obviously can't come up with their own idea and write their own story) can put their name on my story and get the credit for it.  If you steal my fics, you will be found out sooner or later.

Q&A:

1. Why doesn't Inuyasha care for his brother's reaction and feeling?

They've never cared much of each other's feelings.  And for him, Kagome is more important than hurting his brother.

2. Can you update a little faster?

Believe me, I would love to update constantly like some of the other authors (Rosefire and Niamh to be exact ^_^).  I'm just a slow and picky writer.


	9. Loss of Control

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Our Love Affair

Chapter 9: Loss of Control

By Cataluna

Kagome let out a soft sigh and shook her head, strands of hair falling from her hair tie and gliding lightly across her cheeks.  Rolling her eyes, her lower lip jutted slightly outward as she manipulated a burst of air from her mouth to blow her hair out of the way.  The action proved only to be a temporary relief as each one of the irritable strands quickly reclaimed their stations – once again teasing at the spot right under her brows and along her jaw line, enticing her to give in to the itch and scratch.  

The shrill whistling sound of the kettle distracted her from her current predicament, Kagome quickly removed the rubber gloves from her hand and lifted the kettle off the stove.  She then took two matching, floral-print mugs from the cabinet, and carefully poured the boiled water into each.  The sudden noise coming from the television set prompted her to glance at the figure lounging lazily in her living room, his dark grey suit a stark contrast against the white of her leather sofa.  

His arm was draped casually over the back of the seat and the buttons on his crisp, black shirt had been undone at the top to reveal the line of his throat and the top of his chest.  Inuyasha looked entirely too comfortable and it seemed as though he had declared her furniture to be a part of his possession.  That, of course, aggravated her to no end.

Yet, Inuyasha was inside her apartment, when he shouldn't have set one foot on her blue-carpeted floor in the first place.  She would like to say that he had forced his way past the door, but that would be a blatant lie - one she couldn't bring herself to believe.  The speed at which she had adjusted to having him inside the confine of her living space was alarming, shocking even.  

Awkwardness, discomfort were what she had expected, but the emotion inside was akin to the exact opposite.  Since when had she begun to feel at ease around him, the guy who'd succeeded in driving her to the brink of insanity?  The undeniable tension between them was still there – stronger than ever - but it was as if her body had subconsciously adjusted to his proximity.  It was almost natural.  "Too natural," Kagome mumbled quietly to herself as she carefully balanced the steaming cups of tea in each hand.  

"Need some help?" his voice came so suddenly and richly from behind her that she jumped.  Her surprised shriek swiftly turned into a loud hiss when the water from one of the mugs spilled over the edge and onto the vulnerability of her skin.  "Shit.  Fucking shit," Kagome heard him swear darkly as he quickly removed the ceramic mugs from her hands before they could shatter on her kitchen tiles. He then set them carefully on the counter and gently held her hands in his, inspecting her reddening skin.  Her face twisted into a tight grimace in a fruitless attempt to hide her pain as she watched him curiously, a rumbling noise coming from the back of his throat to show his disapproval.  

"Stupid girl," he scolded softly even though he had been the one responsible for causing the spill.  Kagome smiled.  The words that fell from his lips were a complete contradiction to the tone of his voice.  He sounded so gentle as though he was saying something entirely different, something affectionate.  _'He cares,'_ she realized with a start, _'He really does care…'_  Her revelation made her pulse race, so much to the point that she was worried he might hear.   

Clearing her throat, she tried to joke to relieve the thick silence, "How bad is it, Doctor?  Think I'll be able to play the violin after this?"

"I didn't know you play the violin," Inuyasha replied seriously, his thick brows furrowing into one as he lifted her hand closed to his mouth – as if to kiss it.  _'W-what are you trying to do?' _shewondered apprehensively to herself, working to get a lump past her throat.  Kagome couldn't help but shiver as he blew lightly across her ridge of knuckles, the fresh pain momentarily forgotten by his tenderness.  Laughing stiffly, she took a tactful step back.  "I was joking.  You haven't heard that joke before?  It's like the oldest one in the book."

"Nope," Inuyasha answered while leading her to the kitchen sink, "I like lewd, perverted jokes better."  He turned on the faucet and led her in front of him so that he could wrap his arms around her.  Resting his chin lightly on her shoulder, he moved her hand under the run of cool water, "Wanna hear one?" he asked in a voice so suggestive that she immediately felt her face grow hotter.  She was more than thankful that her back was turned toward him and those annoying tendrils of hair had once again fallen from her bun to partially shield the shy, flustered girl he had reduced her into.

"No thank you.  I hear enough from my brother and his friends whenever they come over so I don't need to hear anymore from you.  Beside, I'm sure there isn't one I haven't heard," she found her voice in spite of his ever distracting presence and the wild fluttering in her stomach.  Needing to clear her head, she took a deep breath and found it to be mistake for she was instantly filled with the spicy scent of his cologne that only served as a reminder of her attraction to him.

Out to make her life hell, he pressed harder into her, until she could clearly detect each button of his shirt, making it hard for her to focus on anything except the undeniable fact that he was composed entirely of hard muscles.  She closed her eyes, subconsciously allowing him to support some, if not most of her weight as her knees weakened.  

Damn it, and he was warm, so warm that she could feel his heat sinking easily inside her, bringing to attention to the fact that only a thin layer of clothing separated them.  _I wonder…_  An image so vivid and forbidden appeared abruptly before her that her eyes flew open in shock, her lungs taking in one sharp breath.  She began to struggle against him, her body nearly trembling as she silently cursed at what her delusional mind was capable of at the most inconvenient moment.  He released her almost immediately, spinning her around to face him as he shut off the faucet.  Her eyes large with fear, she could not bring herself to look away as one thought refused to banish from her mind.

_Inside me…to have him inside me…_

Guilt filled her to the brim, like it had done so many times in the past.  The image was not a stranger to her, but it was stronger and more sensual than before, probably due to the fact that he was standing right behind her.  Kagome wondered what she would have to do to stop this - the impure thoughts she was having for her fiancé's brother.  _'I don't know, maybe stay away from him?'_ she quietly answered her own question with dripping sarcasm.  She hated this – the going back and forth between her decisions, the flip-flopping of her emotions.  It was like a part of her was refusing to give up on him, no matter how much of a jerk she believed him to be-

"Better?" he asked, his deep voice bringing her out of her stupor.  

Confused, she blinked several times before nodding, grasping what he was referring to.  It was still a bit tender but was no longer the burning sting it had been at the start.  "Thank you," she added.  His hand still cradled hers even after her assurance, and she had to politely pull herself away.  "You should go."

Inuyasha cracked a smile, clearly amused by her request.  "Oh, should I?"

"Yes.  It's getting late."

"Oh, is it?

Kagome was getting sick of the way he was responding to everything she said with a question, especially since she knew it was dangerous to have him stay here any longer.  "Please leave-"

"You're nervous," he said as a statement, his golden eyes shining with a predatory glint.  She half-expected him to circle her the way a lion would.

"And you're a pig," Kagome shot back, willing her eyes to look as threatening as possible.

The response she received was not what she had expected.  Loud, unrestricted laughter vibrated through the space of her kitchen and probably a few blocks away.  Patiently, Kagome waited for quiet to return as her face flushed with anger, her arms tight across her chest to pin down her fists.

Inuyasha finally stopped, finishing off with one final chuckle as he dared to look directly at her, grinning.  "That was cute, real cute."

If the mugs hadn't been out of reach, she would have wiped that smirk away with the hot splash of tea.  Without a word, she stalked over to her living from and dropped down on her favorite armchair, leaving him standing alone in her kitchen.  She randomly selected a magazine from her coffee table, and flipped noisily through the pages.

"Aww…come on, you're not really mad, are you" Inuyasha asked, stretching his frame out on the seat closest to her.

Kagome wanted to tell him to leave but by doing so was the same as admitting defeat that he had gotten to her.  So she did the next best thing and what she would consider her greatest weapon; she ignored him by focusing all her attention on her reading material.  It was harder than she thought for she was painfully aware of his every movement right down to his breathing.  She thought she had triumphed when she heard the shift of his clothing and the release of his weight from her sofa, but that quickly dissentitated when he knelt in front of her.

Still, she refused to meet his eyes until he rested his hands on her knees, drawing a surprised squeak from her mouth when she looked at him.  _Oh my… _Inuyasha, the moodiest, most ill-tempered man she knew was making weird faces at her.  At first, she tried to resist but soon felt her mouth twitched into an unwarranted smile at the continued sight of his beautiful eyes drawn to the center of his face and his sculpted face inflated to resemble a balloon.  

Kagome laughed and poked one side of his cheek, shrinking it.  How could she not when he was deliberately poking fun at himself just to make her laugh?  "You goofball," she chided with a tenderness that did not go unnoticed by him.  It was as though Inuyasha was deliberately revealing his true self to her, layer by layer.  And she couldn't help but feel that she was the only one that he had shown it to.  

His face returned to normal with a comical "poof" that drew another giggle from her.  It had been a while since she had laughed so freely.  He made her feel younger than she had in months despite the fact that she was only in her twenties.  The responsibility and the power she had acquired from her grandfather added to the stress of her abrupt engagement to a man she barely knew had forced a further maturing in her.  So concerned with upholding her image and gaining respect, there had been a constraint in the way she talked, the way she presented herself.  It came to the point where she couldn't shake herself of her public image even when she was at home alone.  

_Until now._

Shaking her head to release herself from the thought, Kagome saw that his eyes were still on her, but no longer filled with the mirth she had witnessed a moment ago.  Recognizing the hunger in his eyes almost immediately, she suddenly felt like a small bird in front of a preying snake.  The hands on her knees flexed, testing the softness of her skin before moving together to rest on her thighs, pulling a soft cry from her lips.  

"Goofball, huh?" Inuyasha asked with a sly grin, his voice dropping a few octaves lower.  Kagome nodded, the familiar rush of desire once again settling in her stomach.  But it was gone in an instant when his fingers tickled her sides, drawing loud, choppy laughter from her as she squirmed wildly against his assault.  

"S-stop," Kagome gasped, grabbing at his hands to hold them still.  She had always been overly ticklish and now he had found one of her greatest weaknesses.  "I-I'm going to pee in my p-pants!"

"Hey, it's your perfectly, white armchair, not mine," Inuyasha answered with total indifference as he leaned down, putting his shoulder against her stomach before moving his hand to the back of her thighs.  One minute she was laughing and struggling uncontrollably but safely in her seat, the next, she was flung over his broad shoulder, hoping and praying that her dress hadn't ridden up the length of her thighs.  "What the hell are you doing?" She attempted to dig her knees into his chest while hitting the small of his back with her fists.  "Put me down now!" she demanded.

Then he lightly pinched her behind and she froze.  It wasn't painful, more of the playful kind, but it was shocking enough for her to stop moving, giving him the opportunity to hold her thighs against his chest more securely with one arm.  "What is wrong with you?  And where do you think you're taking me, you caveman!  You think just because you're strong and tall you can do stupid crap like that."

Inuyasha laughed so richly and deeply that she could feel it vibrating throughout his body.  "Being a goofball and nowhere," he finally replied to her questions, much to her disdain as he paraded her around the apartment while whistling.  Occasionally, he would spin her around a few times before stopping to look at the numerous pictures and paintings she had hanging on her walls.

She finally ceased fighting when she realized that he was not going to put her down anytime soon.  '_At least I get to look at his ass…' _she thought to herself, her hands clenching into fists to keep from reaching out and touching his taut backside.

"This your mother?"

"Hmm?" Kagome pushed away from his back and twisted so she could look at what he was seeing.  It was a favorite of hers, taken when her mother was almost to term with her.  Her arms were wrapped protectively over her round stomach and a brilliant smile was stretched across her face.  Very natural, very maternal.  It was a picture she hoped to pose for one day when she was pregnant.  "Yea, that's her."  

"When she was with you?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

She nodded before realizing Inuyasha wasn't looking at her.  "A week before she went into labor."

"You look like her."

"A lot of people say that.  If you look at her pictures when she was my age, we could be twins."  She smiled warmly.  "What about you?  Who do you look like, your mom or your dad?"

Inuyasha snorted and gently set her down on the floor, leaving her a bit light-headed as blood returned from her head to the rest of her body.  "He's hardly my father but I got all of his coloring."

"Your mother-"

"Dead," Inuyasha answered harshly, his eyes filled with sudden bitterness that made her regret her question.  

_Gosh, how could I be so insensitive?  I only wanted to know him better…_   

"Died my last year in high school, that's when I finally got to meet my fucking father."

"I'm sorry," Kagome apologized.  She couldn't imagine losing her mother - her one solid rock for most of her life.  

"Don't be.  It's not like you had anything to do with it."

Silence stretched between them and she felt his anger dissipating with every draw of his breath.  Regardless of knowing that it would be best to let the subject go, she couldn't help her curiosity.  Him opening up to her like this was a rarity and she wanted to learn more about him.  "If you don't mind me asking, how did she…?" Kagome spoke slowly and carefully, worried that she might accidentally step on tender nerves. 

It took a long time for him to answer and she had almost given up when he responded, "She had a weak heart…"

"Oh," she replied, not sure of what to say.  They fell quietly back into looking at the photograph again.  She had seen it a thousand times but for once, she wanted to see it from his eyes.  

"You're going to take a picture like that?"

Smiling at the fact that Inuyasha was still speaking to her, she patted her flat tummy.  "Yes, I can't wait.  I mean I can when I'm older, but I want children, at least two of them."  Noting the strange look that passed his face, Kagome continued with a light smile, "Don't mean to scare you with talks about children and all.  I know how guys get when they hear the two dreaded words: marriage and children."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  "Feh, those guys are wusses."

She stared at him with disbelief, her mouth dropping open slightly.  It was hard to imagine that this famed bachelor would want to settle down with anyone, let alone have kids.   "You mean, you want…"

"Hell yes," he answered with an exaggerated gesture of his hands, "Tons of them, at least as much as my wife is willing to give me."

"Oh, so you want her to be barefoot and pregnant all the time, huh?"

He grinned boyishly, his eyes twinkling with mischief.  "Nah, I'll give her a break every once in a while.  We'll just train and practice making babies for fun."

"How generous of you," she commented with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

"Glad you approve" was his retort.

Kagome hid a smile, wanting him to continue believing she was annoyed when it was far from the truth.  She was glad that she got the chance to know this side of him, the side hidden from the usual rumors and gossips that concentrated on or exaggerated all his negatives, the side she liked.  

She could only hope that Sesshoumaru was like that too.

Inuyasha watched with a curious arch of his brows as she retreated to her bedroom to answer a call, his eyes lingering on the hypnotic sway of her hips and the endless lines of her legs.   Resting his head back on the sofa, he imagined those legs wrapped tight around his torso, her back arching up as she panted, her more than ample breasts rubbing against his chest.  Images of her dissipated and he looked down at his lap - blood seemed to have rushed straight to his groin with no consideration.  __

_Fuck!_

Not wanting Kagome to come out and find him in a state of pure arousal, he reluctantly forced a horrific image into his mind, one of Jaken wearing a polka-dot bikini.  It worked some but not enough.  The sound of door creaking slightly alerted him to Kagome's presence.  He discreetly adjusted his pants before returning to his previous position as she emerged from her bedroom.  _'That was fast,_' he thought to himself as he glanced at his watch.  She had been in there for no more than 10 minutes.

"Inuyasha?" she spoke out hesitantly from behind him, prompting him to turn in her direction.  He frowned and immediately stood on his feet.  Though the conversation had been brief, whoever it was on the other line had upset Kagome greatly, and gone was that bright smile of hers.  Only one person could cause such a sullen change in her in such a small amount of time.

"That was him, wasn't it?"

Her eyes widened, surprised that he had guessed the true culprit without her revealing a word, before nodding to confirm his suspicion.   "How did you know?"

He snorted at her question and took a few steps toward her, frowning with displeasure as she practiced a bad habit of hers.  "Who else would have you making a bloody mess of your lips?"

Kagome froze at his words, and pink quickly returned to the apple of her cheeks as she realized she had been absently worrying her bottom lip.

Taking her silence as her admittance, Inuyasha continued, "So what did the bastard do this time?"

"Don't call him that," she requested softly, her eyes purposefully avoiding his.  At once, his hands curled into fists, his frustration and anger directed not at her but at Sesshoumaru.  His brother didn't deserve a woman like her.  '_And you do?' _came a discouraging word inside his head.  Inuyasha didn't consider himself the better man, but at least he was treating her as more than a business deal.  _More than-_

"He wants me to leave…early tomorrow if possible." 

Jealousy, a sense of possessiveness swelled strongly within him, and Inuyasha found himself taking in several calming breaths.  He had known about this trip, but didn't think it would be this soon, and just when he was making progress with this stubborn woman.  "So he finally decided to schedule you in to his busy life, huh?  Or is this all work and no play?" Inuyasha spat out each word bitterly and immediately regretted his immaturity when he saw the remaining light disappear from her eyes.

"Stop Inuyasha… don't do this."

Inuyasha could clearly see that he was hurting her and that she was on the verge of reacting strongly to him, either through tears or anger.  A reasonable man would have known that he was treading on dangerous territory.  A reasonable man would have respected her wishes and kept quiet.  

But he was not a reasonable man, especially when it came to Kagome.

Sometimes he hated her for invading his mind, making it impossible for him to be with other women.  And sometimes he hated her for not being able to see that he was better for her.  Was he in love with her?  He didn't know, but he sure as hell wasn't about to lose the chance to find out.  He looked at her, her blue eyes now shining with tears.

Tears for that undeserving asshole.

He needed to make her understand that it could never work out between her and his brother, even if it meant hurting her.  "So what is this?  His one phone call per week?"  Seeing that she was opening her mouth to protest, he added mockingly, "Oh, I'm sorry, I meant twice a week."

"Stop it," Kagome pleaded, a single drop of tear rolled down her cheek.

His heart lurched at the sight but still he continued, "Who knows, he might be able to have dinner with you…"

"Stop it!" she screamed, her face red with anger.  "Why are you doing this?  Why are you being so cruel?"

"Because I'm a jerk," Inuyasha snarled loudly as he stalked toward her, his chest heaving with an effort to control his rage.  She didn't shrink back like he thought she would and looked at him squarely in rebelliousness even when he grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, looking down at her harshly.  "A jerk you wouldn't give him up for.  A jerk who will put you above all.  A jerk who wants you more than _he_ ever will."

Her beautiful eyes shimmered with unspoken emotions – joy, confusion, guilt, regret, and something else, something he wasn't familiar with.  Then he saw her winced in pain.  Finally realizing how hard his fingers were digging into her skin, he let go of her.

Kagome looked surprised, almost disappointed by his action.  "I owe him a chance," she spoke faintly, almost like she wasn't even entirely certain of her explanation.  "I can't leave him when I barely know him."

Inuyasha snorted at her naivety.  The woman made no sense.  "Fuck it, Kagome, trust me on this.  You _don't_ want to know him."

"So I should just break off this engagement because you don't like him?"

His hand thrust deep inside his hair, almost tugging at them.  "Yes!"

Kagome closed her eyes, breathing hard through her nose.  When she opened them again, she was composed.  "I don't want to talk about this anymore, Inuyasha.  I'm tired and I need to pack," she said calmly as she crossed to her apartment entrance.  She unlocked it the door and flung it wide open.  "I think you should leave."

Right now, there was nothing more he wanted to do that to punch his hand straight through her wall.  Did nothing get through that thick skull of hers?  What did she fucking want from him?  "You stupid wench.  He doesn't even want children, not the way we do.  He sees them as a necessity, as heirs, but nothing more.  You're an idiot for even giving him a chance," he growled out, and she flinched as though he had physically struck her.  Straight away, he wondered if he had truly gone too far, said too much.  

"Get out," Kagome stepped to the side of the door and pointed to her right, proving that he had.  "Get out. Get out.  GET OUT!" she screamed so piercingly at him that her voice was practically hoarse with the last command.

If there was any self-control left inside him, it had vanished completely in a second.  Fuming, he grabbed his jacket from the sofa and reached her side quickly, dark feelings seeping outside his skin and surrounding him like an electric current.  He saw her swallowed deeply, heard her even as she tried to find her voice while maintaining a rigid posture.

"G-"

Dropping his jacket hastily to the side and slamming the door shut in one fluid motion, Inuyasha shoved her against the wall before a word could be uttered from that tantalizing mouth of hers.  Her eyes grew large with fright, and then turned into two pools of defiance even as he was glowering down at her.  Sensing movement out of the corner of his eye, Inuyasha caught her hand before she could slap him, then the other as his mouth sealed over hers almost bruisingly, swallowing her surprised gasp and refamiliarizing itself with the feel of her.  With careful maneuvering, he managed to capture both of her delicate wrists in one hand, trapping them above her head.

His freed hand journeyed down the soft underside of her arm, feeling her shiver, before boldly cupping her breast, pushing upward and squeezing gently to test its weight.  He groaned with satisfaction when she instantly arched into him, her lips finally parting to release a small mewing sound and her nipple becoming taunt beneath his palm.  He almost tore her dress straight down the middle when her tongue willingly slipped past his mouth and touched his.  Kagome tasted just as sweetly as he'd remembered, and he was no longer willing to live on memory alone.  

Inuyasha pushed away from her as suddenly as he had pulled her to him, every part of his being disputing at the lost of contact from her delectable body, but he had to do this.  Breathing hard through his nose, he allowed himself a moment to take in her tousled appearance as she slid dazedly to the floor.  Her lips were swollen red and her eyes were glassy with pleasure.   

_All because of me…_

He opened the door and flung his jacket over his shoulder, somehow able to appear cool and collected despite the weakening of his limbs. "So you want to give him a chance, fine.  But you won't forget me, I won't let you.  The next time you see me, you _will_ choose me," he declared confidently before closing the door behind him, all while wondering if he was making the biggest mistake of his life by letting her go.

A/N: Wow!  I actually finished this chapter sooner than I thought and it's back to its usual length too.

For the readers who are concerned about the lack of Sesshy in the last chapters, don't worry, she'll be meeting up with him in the next chapter.

Did Jaken tell on Kagome?  *evil grin*  I guess you'll have to wait to find out. 


	10. Near and Far

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does.

Our Love Affair

Chapter 10: Near and Far

By Cataluna

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It was too high of an expectation.

Blinking back hot tears, Kagome took a moment to calm her breath before leaving the baggage claim area, dragging her leather-trimmed carry-on in one hand and carrying her briefcase in the other. Jaken trailed behind her with the rest of her luggage, practically running to keep up with her as she moved hurriedly through the Hong Kong International Airport. A dry laugh escaped her lips as she thought of her naiveté. She should have known better than to think her fiancé would be waiting dutifully for her when she exited the terminal. But she was a romantic at heart, and the sight of young couples embracing had made her hopeful.

Hope was a funny thing.

Disappointment was even funnier, and she was quickly reaching the low end of her patience. She faintly heard Jaken's voice from behind her – something about slowing down, something about a meeting - but she made no move to stop. At this moment, nothing he said was of importance to her. She just wanted to be left alone. She wished that Ami had come to Hong Kong with her. Then, maybe she wouldn't have felt quite so alone. _It'll be kind of awkward though… bringing her to see the guy who'd tried to fire her last week._ But Sesshoumaru had insisted that only Jaken would arrive with her. He had also insisted on many other things, and she had complied with all his conditions.

_All because I've been a truly terrible person towards him…_

She still couldn't believe she had acted so rudely toward him, especially since his actions – though chauvinistic and inconsiderate – were warranted by his concern for her safety. Her thirst for a fight was fueled by the need to escape, the need for everything to be simple again. Somehow, she had convinced herself that it would be alright if Sesshoumaru were the one to break off the engagement, then she wouldn't be the one at fault. She just hadn't expected the justification for firing her assistant.

A glimpse of silver flashed to her left, and she immediately turned to that direction, her heart swelling with anticipation. It was crushed swiftly when she saw that it belonged to a woman, and her hair was a pale shade of gold, not silver. _Give it up, Kagome. He's not going to be here._

Squaring her shoulders, Kagome held back her disappointment as she exited through the large, automatic door. A sleek black limo awaited her by the entrance, its chauffeur standing patiently on the sidewalk. They exchanged a quick greeting as he held the door open for her. She climbed in with as much grace as she could muster with her legs constricted by her knee-length skirt and had only a moment of silence before the door was opened again. She could barely hide her frown when Jaken entered, horribly out of breath.

"M-ms. Higurashi," Jaken's screech made her grimace as he breathlessly hauled himself into the opposite seat.

Kagome nodded politely at him before turning to face the tinted window, her eyes taking in the changing scenery as the chauffeur took them down the highway. She knew that Jaken did not think highly of her and was only treating her so respectfully because Sesshoumaru wished him to.

"Anything I can get you, Ms. Higurashi?"

'_Yes, go away and make my life right again_,' she thought dryly before turning slightly toward him. "At which hotel will I be staying?"

"The Ritz-Carlton, the best hotel in Hong Kong and located in the heart of the financial district. You'll be staying at the penthouse on the top floor with Mr. Fukumori," Jaken answered proudly, sounding rather mechanic. She had no doubt that he had taken the time to memorize various passages from a tour guide book.

Of course, her fiancé would want nothing but the best. Kagome hid a yawn behind her hand, already feeling the dire effect of a night spent bustling around her apartment instead of resting. "Good, and how far are we away from there?"

"With the traffic, about forty-five minutes," Jaken's eyes shifted nervously before continuing, "But we will not be arriving at the hotel. We will be going directly to the office for the board meeting."

She blinked in surprise and sleep was suddenly the furthest thing from her mind. Sesshoumaru had mentioned something about a meeting last night, but she hadn't expected it to take place as soon as she arrived. "Board meeting? But I just got here." He seemed to have left out a lot of important details during their conversation last night. _But how much can you say in six and a half little minutes?_

Jaken swallowed deeply and seemed to have shifted away from her in fright. "Yes, that is why he wanted you here so urgently."

"But he can't possibly expect me to be even half-awake for this," she protested. Her skirt was wrinkled from the hours on the plane, and she was sure that her hair had fallen flat. Her assumption was confirmed when she flipped down the overhead mirror. She frowned and combed her fingers through her locks. Frumpy, frazzled, and moderately pissed-off were not included in the image that she liked to give to new employees, and especially not to the fiancé whom she hadn't seen in weeks. "What time is the meeting and how far is the hotel away from the office."

"At eleven and it's less than ten minutes," he answered.

Kagome checked the time and did quick calculation in her head, "Good, that'll give me at least fifteen minutes to freshen up," she declared as she picked up the phone that connected to the driver in the front. "We'll make a stop at the hotel first."

"Yes, Ms. Higurashi."

She ignored the sour expression on Jaken's face and returned to staring blankly out the window. A relationship was all about compromise. Not that she was planning on being late, but if she was willing to drop everything to be with him, then he damn well could delay the board meeting for her. _Isn't this exactly what Inuyasha was trying to tell me last night? That business would always come first for Sesshoumaru? _She shook her head. _Stop this, Kagome! **Stop** looking for ways to ruin this. You're supposed to work this whole thing out or at least some of it by the end of this trip. _

A foreboding sense of dread spread through her body, making her blood run cold. She couldn't help but fear that this trip, this chance she was giving him was a mistake, and that in the end, she would come to loathe the name Fukumori.

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Inuyasha sat alone in his darkened office with only the soft glow of the lamp to his far left. The blinds were closed, and the curtains were drawn to keep out the bright morning rays. He had refused to let his secretary turned on the light and had nearly snapped and lost his temper when she'd tried to open the curtains in order to "brighten the room."

He glared at the clock on his desk, noting the time. "Kagome," he said her name to himself, so quietly that he didn't realize it was spoken until it was faintly heard. She was with his bastard brother right now. '_Fucking reacquainting…'_ he added with a dark sneer.

The intercom buzzed – he ignored it – then came loud but hesitant knocking on his door. He gave an inhuman growl, almost flinging his laptop from his desk as he reached to pound on the speaker phone. "**_What?!_**" he roared, his rage echoing through the room.

In a small, trembling voice, his secretary answered, "Mr. Yoshida would like to meet with you."

His name somehow managed to darken his already foul mood. The man was a bully. He was one of the ones who had "welcomed" him with open arms into his father's life and company. Inuyasha was about to tell him to shove a stick up his ass when he had a sudden change of heart. A cold smile spread across his face upon remembering the possible reason for his visit. _Ahh…the merger._

This was just what he needed; he craved any excuse to keep his mind away from her. The sadistic side of him added, _'And I'll enjoy watching him squirm.'_

He pressed the button on the intercom, "Tell him to come in."

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Pausing at the doorway, Kagome took a moment to gaze at the room in awe before walking in, careful not to disturb anything. The penthouse was as beautiful as Jaken had described - more of a palace than a temporary place to live. Her family was rich - if not as rich as the Fukumori – but she had never given herself the luxury of staying at a hotel as nice as this one. She had always been satisfied with the simpler things in life. All she needed was a nice clean bed to sleep on and maybe a mini-bar to indulge her weakness for chocolate.

Jaken brought all her luggage to what she would assume to be her bedroom. He left after informing her that he would be waiting in the lobby, and she had approximately twenty minutes to get ready. She sighed in relief when the door closed, and she was finally alone. Hopefully, Jaken would go back to assisting her fiancé now that he was here. She didn't know how much of his creepiness she could take.

She went inside the bedroom he had come out of earlier. Hurriedly, she changed into a fresh skirt. That led to a different blouse to match the cream-colored skirt and a stylish pair of brown pumps instead of the low, black heels. She only had a few minutes to touch on her makeup and fix her hair by the time she was dressed, having changed her entire outfit. She critically took in her appearance as she dabbed lightly on her lips with her favorite tube of lipstick. The dark shadows under her eyes were gone with careful concealing, and she had added a coat of mascara to brighten her eyes. All in all, she looked presentable, but the question was whether she was presentable enough for Sesshoumaru.

A nervous fluttering settled in her stomach as she closed the door behind her and stepped inside the conveniently available elevator located directly in front of her. It had been weeks since she had last seen him. Plus she was about to meet her new employees - a task she had always considered awkward, like standing in front of the class on the first day of school. Anger from the fact that he was putting her through all of this on the first day floated to the surface, but she quickly washed it away with the determination of being a better fiancée. Twice, she had cheated on him and with his younger brother. She blushed, '_Well…almost_.' She had been ready to give him up without ever giving him a chance. Her indecisiveness was driving her to the brink of madness.

_After this trip… I'll finally decide. I won't let this go on any longer. It's not fair to any of us._

Sango was right. As much as she loved her family and wanted to keep her ailing grandfather happy, she couldn't put her feelings aside for something as cold and impersonal as a business arrangement. She wanted to marry for love, wanted her marriage bed to be warm, wanted a husband who desired her. And if Sesshoumaru couldn't provide her with that, then they would have to find another way to make this merger work.

Jaken was looking at his watch when the elevator opened. A quick glance at her own told her that she was not late, but three minutes early. That alone brought her a sense of satisfaction.

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The ride to the main office, thankfully, had been quiet. Only the sound of rustling paper could be heard as she looked over the agenda for the meeting. Kagome spent the rest of the trip staring out the window with her legs crossed primly with her hands folded on her lap as she thought about Inuyasha.

Their kiss had been short, but Inuyasha had kissed her so passionately and thoroughly that she could still taste him. Absently, Kagome tapped at her lips. She knew without looking that they were still slightly swollen from his onslaught. How could he be so cruel? He knew quite well that she would not be able to forget him, that she would only be able to think only of him. And she had left her breathing hard on the floor with a terrible ache only he could fulfill.

_What are you thinking, Kagome? You sound like you're angry at him for not finishing when you should be relieved…_

But she wasn't. She wasn't angry, nor was she relieved. After reaching up shakily to lock the door behind him, she had tried to take care of herself right there on the floor. It didn't work, nothing did; it was as if her body was refusing to find its release unless Inuyasha was there with her. Nearly sobbing with frustration, she had cursed at her traitorous body as she got up off the floor to move to her bathroom. A cool shower had fortunately been able to help shift her thoughts into a more innocent direction.

Kagome closed her eyes with a soft sigh, recalling his laughter and the tenderness she hadn't known he had inside of him until now. Then the thought drifted to the pained-look in his eyes when she'd told him about the trip. Unless she was completely misreading him, there was little doubt in her mind that he was simply looking for a fuck buddy.

A feeling of being watched prompted her to stop her daydreaming and gaze to her right. Jaken was staring at her, an expression of disdain on his face. He looked at her as though he knew exactly what and who she was thinking about. She reacted guiltily by quickly removing her finger from her lips._ He couldn't…_ She shifted in her seat, the hand responsible curling into a tight fist on her lap. '_I'm probably just imagining things._ _The only other person who knows is Sango and maybe Miroku,' _she tried to assure herself.

The contempt in his eyes shouldn't have shocked her. Jaken had never forgiven her for the way she had treated him on the first day, not that he had liked her from the start. Kagome had learned that he thought she was below Sesshoumaru since he considered them to be new money. The Higurashi Investment Company had been around for not more than twenty years while the Fukumori Corporation had been a force in the business world since the turn of the century. They had managed to rise up against them in such short period of time purely through hard work and fresh talents, and now they were merging into one stronghold. It must have been an absolute torture for him to treat her so politely and respectfully.

Kagome hadn't realized they had arrived at their destination until the driver had opened her door, and she was suddenly greeted by a flood of sunlight. She stepped out of the limo and gazed up to the top of the building, her hand shielding her eyes to act as a visor against the sun. She wrinkled her nose in distaste as she took in the design. The Onigumo Tower was a menacing structure in the Hong Kong skyline. It was as if _the_ Onigumo Naraku had ordered the architect to add in as many spikes and jagged angles as possible.

Drawing a deep breath, she followed Jaken past the grand entrance. There was a moment of stillness, of absolute silence when the employees around the lobby area all at once paused in their tasks and conversations. Those were not friendly smiles that she saw, but frowns and eyes filled with suspicion. Then the moment passed and hushed whispering could be heard. Kagome ignored all that and fixed her eyes straight ahead, refusing to be bothered. It was only natural for them to react this way, since her purpose here was to take over their company. _But it would have been nice to see a friendly face around here. _

Jaken directed her to the top of the floor, then through a maze of endless sharp turns and hallways. A large, double door came into view, causing her to swallow audibly. Without being told, Kagome knew that Sesshoumaru was on the other side, waiting. She felt sick all of the sudden, the churning in her stomach worsening with each step. _'Turn back turn back **turn back**!'_ she chanted to herself. She didn't want to see him, not yet, not right now. She needed to be more prepared.

But her request was silent, unheard by all, even her own legs. She doubted that Jaken would have stopped had he caught the resonant scream coming from inside of her. The door opened dramatically; she almost expected a clash of thunder to go along with it. Sesshoumaru stood in front of the window, hands clasped behind his back. Her feet refused to move as the door shut firmly, leaving her alone with the man she was supposed to marry.

She had forgotten about his height and the broadness of his shoulders. Most of all, she had forgotten how much the brothers resembled each other from the back. The only difference being that the elder Fukumori was taller by a few inches, and his hair was shorter. Inuyasha's hair, which he usually tied back during work, was past shoulder length.

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru spoke, before finally turning to face her. His expression was blank, a perfect mask that allowed her no more than a glimpse of the surface.

The sound of her name falling from his lips beckoned her to him like some kind of enchantment. Her reluctance to see him somehow disappeared, turning into excitement of seeing her fiancé for the first time in weeks, and she felt her mouth stretched into a large smile as she walked towards him. She loved the sound of his voice – soothing and rich of power and confidence. She had once suggested that he should consider doing romance books on tapes. That had managed to get a laugh or two out of him.

_Good times, we've had some good times together, and we can have more…_ They stood awkwardly apart, neither sure of what to do. _If I allow it…_ Finally, she moved closer until the tips of their shoes touched and stood on her tiptoes. A small cry of aggravation left her lips when she realized that she was still shorter than him by at least a couple of inches. Sesshoumaru appeared to be amused as he looked down at her, wondering what she was trying to do. Determination clear on her face, she grabbed his arms and used them as leverage to close the distance between them. She was aiming for his cheek, but he had moved at the last second so their mouths touched instead.

Their kiss was not passionate, but it was nice, like they were reconnecting with each other. At last, she pulled back with a soft sigh and licked her lips. Kissing him was always pleasant, but it was nothing like kissing Inuyasha. Her breath was never short from just the slightest brush of his lips, nor did she feel as though her whole body was on fire from just being close to him. _But you can't decide to be with someone just on a kiss alone. _She was certain that time could fix everything.

_Time…time will fix everything…isn't that the lyrics to a song?_ She pressed her face to his chest, eyes sliding shut as she forced a face - **_his_** face – out to the far recess of her mind. _I just need more time._

_._

_._

_._

_._

A/N:

Thank you so much Ithiwen for being such a wonderful beta and giving this back to me so quickly. You did a great job with catching all the errors and awkwardness

And thank you to everyone who is still reading this story. Your supports never cease to amaze me.

Well I finally done with college, I'll be starting work in a week so updates may be a little sporadic until I get everything in order. smiles The good thing is that I write the most when I'm the busiest.

For those of you waiting for BDL 22, you won't have to wait much longer. I'm almost done, so just sit tight.


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